


THE BEAR-HUNT 
AND OTHER STORIES 


Perko TOLLS TOY 





[eee eS AU ER LY Be RA RY 
CORPORATION NEW YORE 





CONTENTS 


MPO ETUGNT A se 8 ee ee 
WHat MeEn LIVE By Ue ak. be lesathre Meee 
CAEP yet eg inte ele ae tk 


: y A q 
EN WILLMAN 


CITY, IND: 


H. BOW 
B23 SOUT! 


HARTFORD 





THE BEAR-HUNT 





THE BEAR-HUNT 


_‘ [The adventure here narrated is one that 
happened to Tolstoy himself in 1858. More 
than twenty years later he gave up hunting, 
on humanitarian grounds.] 


WE were out on a bear-hunting expedition. 
My comrade had shot at a bear, but only 
gave him a flesh-wound. There were traces 
of blood on the snow, but the bear had got 
away. ; 

We all collected in a group in the forest, 
‘to decide whether we ought to go after the 
bear at once, or wait two or three days till 
-he should settle down again. We asked the 
peasant bear-drivers whether it would be pos- 
sible to get round the bear that day. 

“No. It’s impossible,’ said an old bear- 
driver. “You must let the bear quiet down. 
In five days’ time it will be possible to sur- 
round him; but if you followed him now, you 
would only frighten him away, and he would 
not settle down.” 


8 THE BEAR-HUNT 


But a young bear-driver began disputing 
with the old man, saying that it was quite pos- 
sible to get round the bear now. 

“On such snow as this,” said he, “he won’t 
go far, for he is a fat bear. He will settle 
down before evening; or, if not, I can over- 
take him on snow-shoes.” 

The comrade I was with was against follow- 
ing up the bear, and advised waiting. But I 
said: 

“We need not argue. You do as you like, 
but I will follow up the track with Damian. 
If we get round the bear, all right. If not, 
we lose nothing. It is still early, and there is 
nothing else for us to do to-day.” 

So it was arranged. 

The others went back to the sledges, and 
returned to the village. Damian and I took 
some bread, and remained behind in the 
forest. 

When they had all left us, Damian and I 
examined our guns, and after tucking the 
skirts of our warm coats into our belts, we 
started off, following the bear’s tracks. 

The weather was fine, frosty and calm; but 
it was hard work snow-shoeing. ‘The snow 
was deep and soft: it had not caked together 

\ 


THE BEAR-HUNT 9 


at all in the forest; and fresh snow had 
fallen the day before, so that our snow-shoes 
sank six inches deep in the snow, and somes 
times more. 

The bear’s tracks were visible from a dis- 
tance, and we could see how he had been 
going; sometimes sinking in up to his belly 
and ploughing up the snow as he went. At 
first, while under large trees, we kept in 
sight of his track; but when it turned into 
a thicket of small firs, Damian stopped. 

“We must leave the trail now,” said he. 
“He has probably settled somewhere here. 
You can see by the snow that he has been 
squatting down. Let us leave the track 
and go round; but we must go quietly. Don’t 
shout or cough, or we shall frighten him 
away.” 

Leaving the track, therefore, we turned off 
to the left. But when we had gone about 
five hundred yards, there were the bear’s 
traces again right before us. We followed 
them, and they brought us out on to the 
road. There we stopped, examining the road 
to see which way the bear had gone. Here 
and there in the snow were prints of the 
bear’s paw, claws and all, and here and there 


10 THE BEAR-HUNT 


the marks of a peasant’s bark shoes, The 
bear had evidently gone towards the village. 
~ As we followed the road, Damian said: 

“It’s no use watching the road now. We 
shall see where he has turned off, to right 
or left, by the marks in the soft snow at 
the side. He must have turned off some- 
where; for he won't have gone on to the 
village.” 

We went along the road for nearly a mile, 
and then saw, ahead of us, the bear’s track 
turning off the road. We examined it. How 
strange! It was a bear’s track right enough 
only not going from the road into the forest 
but from the forest on to the road! The 
toes were pointing towards the road. 

“This must be another bear,” I said. 

Damian looked at it, and considered 4 
while. 

“No,” said he. “It’s the same one. He’: 
been playing tricks, and walked backward: 
when he left the road.” 

We followed the track, and found it really 
was so! The bear had gone some ten step‘ 
backwards, and then, behind a fir tree, hac 
turned round and gone straight ahead 
Damian stopped and said: 


THE BEAR-HUNT 11 


“Now, we are sure to get-round him. There 
is a marsh ahead of us, and he must have 
settled down there. Let us go round it.” 

We began to make our way round, through 
a fir thicket. I was tired out by this time, 
and it had become still more difficult to get 
along. Now I glided on to juniper bushes 
and caught my snow-shoes in them, now a 
tiny fir tree appeared between my feet, or, 
from want of practise, my snow-shoes slipped 
off; and now I came upon a stump or a 
log hidden by the snow. I was getting very 
‘tired, and was drenched with perspiration; 
and I took off my fur cloak. And there was 
Damian all the time, gliding along as if in 
a boat, his snow-shoes moving as if of their 
own accord, never catching against anything, 
nor slipping off.. He even took my fur and 
slung it over his shoulder, and still kept urg- 
‘ing me on. 

We went on for two more miles, and came 
out on the other side of the marsh. I was 
lagging behind. My shoe-shoes kept slipping 
off, and my feet stumbled. Suddenly Damian, 
‘who was ahead of me, stopped and waved 
his arm. When I came up to him, he bent 


12 THE BEAR-HUNT 


down, pointing with his hand, and whis- 
pered: 

“Do you see the magpie chattering above 
that undergrowth? It scents the bear from 
afar. That is where he must be.” 

We turned off and went on for more than 
another half-mile, and presently we came on 
to the old track again. We had, therefore, 
been right round the bear, who was now 
within the track we had left. We stopped, 
and I took off my cap and loosened all my 
clothes. I was as hot as in a steam bath, 
and as wet as a drowned rat. Damian too 
was flushed, and wiped his face with his 
sleeve. 

“Well, sir,” he said, “we have done our 
job, and now we must have a rest.” 

The evening glow already showed red 
through the forest. We took off our snow- 
shoes and sat down on them, and got some 
bread and salt out of our bags. First I ate 
some snow, and then some bread; and the 
bread tasted so good, that I thought I had 
never in my life had any like it before. We 
sat there resting until it began to grow dusk, 
and then I asked Damian if it was far to 
the village. 


THE BEAR-HUNT 13 


“Yes,” he said. “It must be about eight 

miles. We will go on there to-night, but now 
we must rest. Put on your fur coat, sir, 
or you'll be catching cold.” 
Damian flattened down the snow, and 
breaking off some fir branches made a bed 
of them. We lay down side by side, rest- 
ing our heads on our arms. I do not re- 
member how I fell asleep. Two hours later 
I woke up, hearing something crack. 

I had slept so soundly that I did not know 
where I was. I looked around me. How 
wonderful! I was in some sort of a hall, 
all glittering and white with gleaming pil- 
lars, and when I looked up I saw, through 
delicate white tracery, a vault, raven black 
and studded with coloured lights. After a 
good look, I remembered that we were in the 
forest, and that what I took for a hall and 
pillars, were trees covered with snow and 
hoar-frost, and the coloured lights were stars 
twinkling between the branches. 

Hoar-frost had settled in the night; all the 
twigs were thick with it, Damian was cov- 
ered with it, it was on my fur coat, and it 
dropped down from the trees. I woke 
Damian; and we put on our snow-shoes and 


14 THE BEAR-HUNT 


started. It was very quiet in the forest. 
No sound was heard but that of our snow- 
shoes pushing through the soft snow; except 
when now and then a tree, cracked by the 
frost, made the forest resound, Only once 
we heard the sound of a living creature. 
Something rustled close to us, and then rushed 
away. I felt sure it was the bear, but when 
we went to the spot whence the sound had 
come, we found the footmarks of hares, and 
saw several young aspen trees with their bark 
gnawed. We had startled some hares while 
they were feeding. 

We came out on the road, and followed it, 
dragging our snow-shoes behind us. It was 
easy walking now. Our snow-shoes clat- 
tered as they slid behind us from side to 
side of the hard-trodden road. The snow 
creaked under our boots, and the cold hoar- 
frost settled on our faces like down. Seen 
through the branches, the stars seemed to be 
running to meet us, now twinkling, now van- 
ishing, as if the whole sky were on the 
move, 

I found my comrade sleeping, but woke him 
up, and related how we had got round the 
bear. After telling our peasant host to col- 


THE BEAR-HUNT 15 


lect beaters for the morning, we had supper 
and lay down to sleep. 

I was so tired that I could have slept on 
till midday, if my comrade had not roused 
me. I jumped up, and saw that he was al- 
ready dressed, and busy doing something to 
_ his gun. 

“Where is Damian?” said I. 

“In the forest, long ago. He has already 
been over the tracks you made, and been back 
here, and now he has gone to look after the 
beaters.” 

I washed and dressed, and loaded my guns; 
and then we got into a sledge, and started. 

The sharp frost still continued. It was 
quiet, and the sun could not be seen. There 
was a thick mist above us, and hoar-frost 
still covered everything. 

After driving about two miles along the 
road, as we came near the forest, we saw a 
cloud of smoke rising from a hollow, and 
presently reached a group of peasants, both 
men and women, armed with cudgels. 

We got out and went up to them. The 
men sat roasting potatoes, and laughing and 
talking with the women. 

Damian was there too; and when we arrived 


16 THE BEAR-HUNT 


the people got up, and Damian led them away © 
to place them in the circle we had made the 
day before. They went along in single file, 
men and women, thirty in all. The snow 
was so deep that we could only see them 
from their waists upwards. They turned 
into the forest, and my friend and I followed 
in their track. 

Though they had trodden a path, walking 
was difficult; but, on the other hand, it was 
impossible to fall: it was like walking be- 
tween two walls of snow. 

We went on in this way for nearly half a 
mile, when all at once we saw Damian com- 
ing from another direction—running towards. 
us on his snow-shoes, and beckoning us to 
join him. We went towards him, and he 
showed us where to stand. I took my place, 
and looked round me. 

To my left were tall fir trees, between the - 
trunks of which I could see a good way, and, 
like a black patch just visible behind the 
trees, I could see a beater. In front of me 
was a thicket of young firs, about as high — 
as a man, their branches weighed down and — 
stuck together with snow. Through this 
copse ran a path thickly covered with snow, 


THE BEAR-HUNTI 17 


and leading straight up to where I stood. 
The thicket stretched away to the right of 
me, and ended in a small glade, where I 
could see Damian placing my comrade. 

I examined both my guns, and considered 
‘where I had better stand. Three steps be- 
hind me was a tall fir. 

“That's where I'll stand,” thought I, “and 
then I can lean my second gun against the 
tree”; and I moved towards the tree, sink- 
ing up to my knees in the snow at each step. 
I trod the snow down, and made a clearance 
about a yard square, to stand on. One gun 
I kept in my hand; the other, ready cocked, 
I placed leaning up against the tree. Then 
I unsheathed and replaced my dagger, to 
make sure that I could draw it easily in 
case of need. 

Just as I had finished these preparations, 
I heard Damian shouting in the forest: 

“He’s up! He’s up!” 

And as soon as Damian shouted, the peas- 
ants round the circie all replied in their dif- 
ferent voices. 

“Up, up, up! Ou! Ou! Ou!” shouted 
the mens 


18 THE BEAR-HUNT 


“Ay! Ay! Ay!’ screamed the women 
in high-pitched tones. 

The bear was inside the circle, and as 
Damian drove him on, the people all round 
kept shouting. Only my friend and I stood 
silent and motionless, waiting for the bear 
to come towards us. As I stood gazing and 
fistening, my heart beat violently. I trem- 
bled, holding my gun fast. 

“Now, now,” I thought. “He will come 
suddenly. I shall aim, fire, and he will 
drop 5 

Suddenly, to my left, but at a distance, 
I heard something falling on the snow. I 
looked between the tall fir trees, and, some 
fifty paces off, behind the trunks, saw some- 
thing big and black. I took aim and waited, 
thinking: 

“Won’t he come any nearer?” 

As I waited I saw him move his ears, turn, 
and go back; and then I caught a glimpse of 
the whole of him in profile. He was an im- 
mense brute. In my excitement, I fired, and 
heard my bullet go “flop” against a tree. 
Peering through the smoke, I saw my bear 
scampering back into the circle, and disap- 
pearing among the trees, 


eo 





THE BEAR-HUNT 19 


“Well,” thought I. “My chance is lost. He 
won’t come back to me. Either my comrade 
will shoot him, or he will escape through 
the line of beaters. In any case he won't 
give me another chance.” . 

I reloaded my gun, however, and again 
stood listening. The peasants were shouting 
all round, but to the right, not far from 
where my comrade stood, I heard a woman 
screaming in a frenzied voice: 

“Here he is! Here he is! Come here, 
come here! Oh! Oh! Ay! Ay!” 

Evidently she could see the bear. I had 
given up expecting him, and was looking to 
the right at my comrade. All at once I saw 
Damian with a stick in his hand, and with- 
out his snow-shoes, running along a footpath 
towards my friend. He crouched down be- 
side him, pointing his stick as if aiming at 
something, and then I saw my friend raise 
his gun and aim in the same direction. 
Crack! He fired. 

“There,” thought I. “He has killed him.” 

But I saw that my comrade did not run 
towards the bear. Evidently he had missed 
him, or the shot had not taken full effect. 

“The bear will get away,” I thought. “He 


20 «4 THE BEAR-HUNT 


will go back, but he won’t come a second time 
towards me.—But what is that?” 

Something was coming towards me like a 
whirlwind, snorting as it came; and I saw the 
snow flying up quite near me. I glanced 
straight before me, and there was the bear, 
rushing along the path through the thicket 
right at me, evidently beside himself with 
fear. He was hardly half a dozen paces off, 
and I could see the whole of him—his black 
chest and enormous head with a reddish 
patch. There he was, blundering straight 
at me, and scattering the snow about as he 
came. I could see by his eyes that he did 
not see me, but, mad with fear, was rushing 
blindly along; and his path led him straight 
at the tree under which I was standing. I 
raised my gun and fired. He was almost 
upon me now, and I saw that I had missed. 
My bullet had gone past him, and he did not 
even hear me fire, but still came headlong 
towards me. I lowered my gun, and fired 
again, almost touching his head. Crack! I 
had hit, but not killed him! 

He rafsed his head, and laying his ears 
back, came at me, showing his teeth. 

I snatched at my other gun, but almost 


THE BEAR-HUNT 21 


before I had touched it, he had flown at me 
and, knocking me over into the snow, had 
passed right over me. 

_ “Thank goodness, he has left me,” 
‘thought I. 

I tried to rise, but something pressed me 
down, and prevented my getting up. The 
bear’s rush had carried him past me, but 
he had turned back, and had fallen on me 
with the whole weight of his body. I felt 
something heavy weighing me down, and 
something warm above my face, and I re- 
alized that he was drawing my whole face 
into his mouth. My nose was already in it, 
and I felt the heat of it, and smelt his blood. 
He was pressing my shoulders down with 
his paws so that I could not move: all I 
could do was to draw my head down towards 
my chest away from his mouth, trying to 
free my nose and eyes, while he tried to get 
his teeth into them. Then I felt that he 
had seized my forehead just under the hair 
with the teeth of his lower jaw, and the flesh 
below my eyes with his upper jaw, and was 
closing his teeth. It was as if my face were 
being cut with knives. I struggled to get 
away, while he made haste to close his jaws 


22 THE BEAR-HUNT 


like a dog gnawing. I managed to twist 
my face away, but he began drawing it 
again into his mouth. 

“Now,” thought I, “my end has come!” 

Then I felt the weight lifted, and looking 
up, I saw that he was no longer there. He 
_had jumped off me and run away. 

When my comrade and Damian had seen 
the bear knock me down and begin worry- 
ing me, they rushed to the rescue. My com- 
rade, in his haste, blundered, and instead of 
following the trodden path, ran into the 
deep snow and fell down. While he was 
struggling out of the snow, the bear was 
gnawing at me. But Damian just as he was, 
without a gun, and with only a stick in his 
hand, rushed along the path shouting: 

“He’s eating the master! He’s eating the 
master !” 

And, as he ran, he called to the bear: 

_ “Oh, you idiot! What are you doing? 
Leave off! Leave off!” 

The bear obeyed him, and leaving me ran 
away. “When I rose, there was as much 
blood on the snow as if a sheep had been 
killed, and the flesh hung in rags above my 
eyes, though in my excitement I felt no pain, 


THE BEAR-HUNT 23 


My comrade had come up by this time, and 
the other people collected round: they looked 
at my wound, and put snow on it. But I, 
forgetting about my wounds, only asked: 

“Where’s the bear? Which way has he 
gone?” 

Suddenly I heard: "a 

“Here he is! Here he is!” 

And we saw the bear again running at us. 
We seized our guns, but before any one had 
time to fire, he had run past. He had grown 
ferocious, and wanted to gnaw me again, but 
seeing so many people he took fright. We 
saw by his track that his head was bleeding, 
and we wanted to follow him up; but, as my 
wounds had become very painful, we went, 
instead, to the town to find a doctor. 

The doctor stitched up my wounds with 
silk, and they soon began to heal. . 

A month later we went to hunt that bear 
again, but I did not get a chance of finishing 
him. He would not come out of the circle, 
but went round and round, growling in a 
terrible voice. 

Damian killed him. The bear’s lower jaw 
had been broken, and one of his teeth 
knocked out by my bullet. 


24 THE BEAR-HUNT 


He was a huge creature, and had splendid 
black fur. 

I had him stuffed, and he now lies in my 
room. The wounds on my forehead healed 
up so that the scars can scarcely be seen. 


(Written about 1872.) 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 








WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


“We know that we have passed out of 
death into life, because we love the breth- 
ren. He that loveth not abideth in death.”— 
1 Epistle St. John iii. 14. 

“Whoso hath the world’s goods, and _ be- 
holdeth his brother in need, and shutteth 
up his compassion from him, how doth the 
love of God abide in him? My little chil- 
dren, let us not love in word, neither with 
the tongue; but in deed and_ truth.”— 
iii. 17-18. 

“Love is of God; and every one that loveth 

is begotten of God, and knoweth God. He 
that loveth not knoweth not God; for God 
is love.”—iv. 7-8. 
_ “No man hath beheld God at any time; 
if we love one another, God abideth in us.”— 
iv. 12. & 
_. “God is love; and he that abideth in love 
abideth in God, and God abideth in him.”— 
iv. 16, © 


28 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


“If a man say, I love God, and hateth his 
brother, he is a liar; for he that loveth not 
his brother whom he hath seen, how can he 
love God whom he hath not seen?”—iv. 20. 


I 


A SHOEMAKER named Simon, who had 
nelther house nor land of his own, lived 
with his wife and children in a peasant’s 
hut, and earned his living by his work. 
Work was cheap but bread was dear, and 
what he earned he spent for food. The man 
and his wife had but one sheepskin coat be- 
tween them for winter wear, and even that 
was worn to tatters, and this was the sec- 
ond year he had been wanting to buy sheep- 
skins for a new coat. Before winter Simon 
saved up a little money: a three-rouble note 
lay hidden in his wife’s box, and five roubles 
and twenty kopeks* were owed him by cus- 
tomers in the village. 

So one morning he prepared to go to the 
village to buy the sheep-skins. He put on 


1QOne hundred kopeks make a rouble. The 
kopek is worth about a farthing. 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 29 


over his shirt his wife’s wadded nankeen 
jacket, and over that he put his own cloth 
coat. He took the three-rouble note in his 
pocket, cut himself a stick to serve as a 
staff, and started off after breakfast. “I Ul 
Collect the’ five ‘roubles that are’ due to me,” 
thought he, “add the three I have got, and 
that will be enough to buy sheep-skins for 
the winter coat.” 

He came to the village and called at a 
_peasant’s hut, but the man was not at home. 
The peasant’s wife promised that the money 
should be paid next week, but she would not . 
pay it herself. Then Simon called on an- 
other peasant, but this one swore he had no 
money, and would only pay twenty kopeks 
which he owed for a pair of boots Simon had 
mended. Simon then tried to buy the sheep- 
skins on credit, but the dealer would not 
trust him. 

“Bring your money,” said he, “then you 
may have your pick of the skins. , We know 
what debt-collecting is like.” 

So all the business the tatuies did was 
to get the twenty kopeks for boots he had 
mended, and to take a pair of felt boots a 
peasant gave him to sole with leather, 


30 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


Simon felt downhearted. He spent the 
twenty kopeks on védka, and started home- 
wards without having bought any skins. In 
the morning he had felt the frost; but now, 
after drinking the vodka, he felt warm even , 
without a skeep-skin coat. He trudged along, 
striking his stick on the frozen earth with 
one hand, swinging the felt boots with the 
other, and talking to himself. 

“I’m quite warm,” said he, “though I have 
no sheep-skin coat. I’ve had a drop, and 
it runs through all my veins. I need no 
sheep-skins. JI go along and don’t worry 
about anything. That’s the sort of man I 
am! What do J care? I can live without 
sheep-skins. I don’t need them. My wife 
will fret, to be sure. And, true enough, 
it is a shame; one works all day long, and 
then does not get paid. Stop a bit! If you 
don’t bring that money along, sure enough 
Ill skin you, blessed if I don’t. How’s 
that? He pays~twenty kopeks at a time! 
What can I do with twenty kopeks? Drink 
it—that’s all one can do! Hard up, he 
says he is! So he may be—but what about 
me? You have house, and cattle, and every- 
thing; I’ve only what I stand up in! You 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 31 


have corn of your own growing; I have 
to buy every grain. Do what I will, I must 
spend three roubles every week for bread 
alone.- I come home and find the bread all 
used up, and I have to fork out another 
rouble and a half. So just you pay up what 
you owe, and no nonsense about it!” 

By this time he had nearly reached the 
shrine at the bend of the road. Looking 
up, he saw something whitish behind the 
shrine. The daylight was fading, and the 
Shoemaker peered at the thing without being 
able to make out what it was. “There was 
no white stone here before. Can it be an 
ox? It’s not like an ox. It has a head like 
a man, but it’s too white; and what could 
aman be doing there?” 

He came closer, so that it was clearly visi- 
ble. To his surprise it really was a man, 
alive or dead, sitting naked, leaning mo-. 
tionless against the shrine. Terror seized 
the shoemaker, and he thought, “Some one 
has killed him, stripped him, and left him 
here. If I» meddle I shall surely get into 
trouble.” 

So the shoemaker went on. He passed in 
front of the shrine so that h ;? could not see 


ee 
pis: aie 


32 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


the man. When he had gone some way, he 
_ looked back, and saw that the man was no 

longer leaning against the shrine, but was 
moving as if looking towards him. The shoe- 
maker felt more frightened than before, and 
thought, “Shall I go back to him, or shall 
I go on? If I go near him something dread- 
ful may happen. Who knows who the fellow 
is? He has not come here for any good. If 
I go near him he may jump up and throttle 
me, and there will be no getting away. Or if 
not, he’d still be a burden on one’s hands. 
What could I do with a naked man? I[ 
couldn’t give him my last clothes. Heaven 
only help me to get away!” 

So the shoemaker hurried on, leaving the 
shrine behind him—when suddenly his con- 
science smote him, and he stopped in the 
road. 

“What are you doing, Simon?” said he to 
himself. “The man may be dying. of want, 
and you slip past afraid. Have you grown 
so rich as to be afraid of robbers? Ah, 
Simon, shame on you!” : 

So ke turned back and went up to the 
man. 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 33 


It 


Simon approached the stranger, looked at 
him, and saw that he was a young man, fit, 
with no bruises on his body, only evidently 
freezing and frightened, and he sat there 
leaning back without looking up at Simon, 
as if too faint to lift his eyes. Simon went 
close to him, and then the man seemed to 
wake up. Turning his head, he opened his 
eyes and looked into Simon’s face. That one 
look was enough to make Simon fond of the 
man. He threw the felt boots on the ground, 
undid his sash, laid it on the boots, and took 
off his cloth coat. 

“It’s not a time for talking,’ said he. 
“Come, put this coat on at once!’ And 
Simon took the man by the elbows and helped 
him to rise. As he stood there, Simon saw 
that his body was clean and in good condi- 
tion, his hands and feet shapely, and his 
face good and kind. He threw his coat over 
the man’s shoulders, but the latter could not 
find the sleeves. Simon guided his arms into 
them, and drawing the coat well on, wrapped 


34 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


it closely about him, tying the sash round 
the man’s waist. 

Simon even took off his torn cap to put it 
on the man’s head, but then his own 
head felt cold, and he thought: “I’m 
quite bald, while he has long curly hair.” 
So he put his cap on his own head again. 
“It will be better to give him something for 
his feet,” thought he; and he made the man 
sit down, and helped him to put on the felt 
boots, saying, “There, friend, now move about 
and warm yourself. Other matters can be 
settled later on. Can you walk?” 

The man stood up and looked kindly at 
Simon, but could not say a word. 

“Why don’t you speak?” said Simon. “It’s 
too cold to stay here, we must be getting 
home. There now, take my stick, and if 
you're feeling weak, lean on that. Now step 
out!” 

The man started walking, and moved eas- 
ily, not lagging behind. 

As they went along, Simon asked him, 
“And where do you belong to?” 

“Ym not from these parts.” 

“I thought as much. I know the folks 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 35 


hereabouts. But how did you come to be 
there by the shrine?” 

“T cannot tell.” 

“Flas some one been ill-treating you?” 

“No one has ill-treated me. God has pun- 
ished me.” 

“Of course God rules all. Still, you’ll have 
to find food and shelter somewhere. Where 
do you want to go to?” 

“Tt is all the same to me.” 

Simon was amazed. The man did not look 
‘like a rogue, and he spoke gently, but yet 
he gave no account of himself. Still Simon 
thought, “Who. knows what may have hap- 
pened?” And he said to the stranger: “Well 
then, come home with me, and at least warm 
yourself awhile.” 
~ So Simon walked towards his home, and 
the stranger kept up with him, walking at 
his side. The wind had risen and Simon felt 
it cold under his shirt. He was getting over 
his tipsiness by now, and began to feel the 
frost. He went along sniffing and wrapping 
his wife’s coat round him, and he thought to 
himself; “There now—talk about sheepskins! 
I went out for sheepskins and come home 


36 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


without even a coat to my back, and what 
is more, I’m bringing a naked man along 
with me. Matryéna won’t be pleased!” And 
when he thought of his wife he felt sad; but 
when he looked at the stranger and remem- 
bered how he had looked up at him at the 
shrine, his heart was glad. 


Wit 


Simon’s wife had everything ready early 
that day. She had cut wood, brought water, 
fed the children, eaten her own meal, and 
now she sat thinking. She wondered when 
she ought to make bread: now or to-morrow? 
There was still a large piece left. 

“If Simon has had some dinner in town,” 
thought she, “and does not eat much for 
supper, the bread will last out another day.” 

She weighed the piece of bread in her hand 
again and again, and thought: “I won’t make 
any more to-day. We have only enough flour 
left to bake one batch. We can manage to 
make this last out till Friday.” 

So Matryéna put away the bread, and sat 
down at the table to patch her hushand’s 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 87 


shirt. While she worked she thought how 
her husband was buying skins for a winter 
coat. 

“Tf only the dealer does not cheat him. 
‘My good man is much too simple; he cheats 
nobody, but any child can take him in. Hight 
roubles is a lot of money—he should get a 
good coat at that price. Not tanned skins, 
but still a proper winter coat. How diffi- 
cult it was last winter to get on without 
a warm coat. I could neither get down to 
the river, nor go out anywhere. When he 
went out he put on all we had, and there 
was nothing left for me. He did not start 
very early to-day, but still it’s time he was 
back. I only hope he has not gone on the 
spree!” 

Hardly had Matryéna thought this, when 
steps were heard on the threshold, and some 
one entered. Matryéna stuck her needle into 
her work and went out into the passage. 
There she saw two men: Simon, and with 
him a man without a hat, and wearing felt 
boots. 

Matryéna noticed at once that her hus- 
band smelt of spirits. “There now, he has 
been drinking,” thought she. And when she 


38 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


saw that he was coatless, had only her jacket 
on, brought no parcel, stood there silent, 
and seemed ashamed, her heart was ready to 
break with disappointment. “He has drunk 
the money,” thought she, “and has been on 
the spree with some good-for-nothing fellow 
whom he has brought home with him.” 

Matryéna let them pass into the hut, fol- 
lowed them in, and saw that the stranger 
was a young, slight man, wearing her hus- 
band’s coat. There was no shirt to be seen 
under it, and he had no hat. Having entered, 
he stood neither moving, nor raising his eyes, 
and Matryéna thought: “He must be a bad 
man—he’s afraid.” 

Matryéna frowned, and stood beside the 
oven looking to see what they would do. 

Simon took off his cap and sat down on 
the bench as if things were all right. 

“Come, Matryéna; if supper is ready, let 
us have some.” 

Matryéna muttered something to herself 
and did not move, but stayed where she was, 
by the oven. She looked first at the one 
and then at the other of them, and only 
shook her head. Simon saw that his wife 
was annoyed, but tried to pass it off. Pre- 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 39 


tending not to notice anything, he took the 
stranger by the arm. 3 

“Sit down, friend,” said he, “and let us 
have some supper.” 

The stranger sat down on the bench. 

“Haven't you cooked anything for us?” 
said Simon. 

Matryéna’s anger boiled over. “I’ve cooked, 
but not for you. It seems to me you have 
drunk your wits away. You went to buy a 
_sheep-skin coat, but come home without so 
much as the coat you had on, and bring a 
naked vagabond home with you. I have no 
supper for drunkards like you.” 

“That’s enough, Matryéna. Don’t wag your 
tongue without reason! You had better ask 
what sort of man 3 

“And you tell me what you’ve done with 
the money?” 

Simon found the pocket of the jacket, drew 
out the three-rouble note, and unfolded it. 

“Here is the money. ‘Trifonof did not 
pay, but promises to pay soon.” 

Matryéna got still more angry; he had 
bought no sheep-skins, but had put his only 
coat on some naked fellow and had even 
brought him to their house. 





40 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


She snatched up the note from the table, 
took it to put away in safety, and said: “I 
have no supper for you. We can’t feed all 
the naked drunkards in the world.” 

“There now, Matryéna, hold your tongue 
a bit. First hear. what a man has to 
say i; 

“Much wisdom I shall hear from a drunken 
fool. I was right in not wanting to marry 
you—a drunkard. The linen my mother gave 
me you drank; and now you’ve been to buy 
a coat—and have drunk it too!” 

Simon tried to explain to his wife that he 
had only spent twenty kopeks; tried to tell 
how he had found the man—but Matryéna 
would not let him get a word in. She talked 
nineteen to the dozen, and dragged in things 
that had happened ten years before. 

Matryéna talked and talked, and at last 
She flew at Simon and seized him by the 
sleeve. 

“Give me my jacket. It is the only one I - 
have, and you must needs take it from me 
and wear it yourself. Give it here, you 
mangy dog, and may the devil take you.” 

Simon began to pull off the jacket, and 
turned a sleeve of it inside out; Matryéna 





WHAT MEN LIVE BY Al 


seized the jacket and it burst its seams. She 
snatched it up, threw it over her head and 
went to the door. She meant to go out, but 
stopped undecided—she wanted to work off 
her anger, but she also wanted to learn what 
sort of a man the stranger was. 


IV 


Matryéna stopped and said: “If he were 
a good man he would not be naked. Why, 
he hasn’t even a shirt on him. If he were 
all right, you would say where you came 
across the fellow.” 

“That’s just what I am trying to tell 
you,’ said Simon. “As I came to the shrine 
I saw him sitting all naked and frozen. It 
isn’t quite the weather to sit about naked! 
God sent me to him, or he would have per- 
ished. What was I to do? How do we know 
what may have happened to him? So I took 
him, clothed him, and brought him along. 
Don’t be so angry, Matryéna. It is a sin. 
Remember, we all must die one day.” 

Angry words rese to Matryéna’s lips,. but 
she looked at the stranger and was silent. 
He sat on the edge of the bench, motionless, 


42 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


his hands folded on his knees, his head 
drooping on his breast, his eyes closed, and 
his brows knit as if in pain. Matryéna was 
silent, and Simon said: “‘Matryéna, have you 
no love of God?” 

Matryéna heard these words, and as she 
looked at the stranger, suddenly her heart 
softened towards him. She came back from 
the door, and going to the oven she got out 
the supper. Setting a cup on the table, she 
poured out some kvas.1. Then she brought 
out the last piece of bread, and set out a 
knife and spoons. 

“Eat, if you want to,” said she. 

Simon drew the stranger to the table. 

“Take your place, young man,” said he. 

Simon cut the bread, crumbled it into the 
broth, and they began to eat. Matryéna sat 
at the corner of the table, resting her head 
on her hand and looking at the stranger. 

And Matryéna was touched with pity for 
the stranger, and began to feel fond of him. 
And at once the stranger’s face lit up; his 
brows were no longer bent, he raised his 
eyes and. smiled at Matryéna. 


1A non-intoxicating drink usually made from 
rye-malt and rye-flour. 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 43 


-When they had finished supper, the woman 
cleared away the things and began question- 
ing the stranger. “Where are you from?” 
said she. 

“TJ am not from these parts.” 

“But how did you come to be on the 
road?” 

“T may not tell.” 

“Did some one rob you?” 

“God punished me.” 

“And you were lying there naked?” 

“Yes, naked and freezing. Simon saw me 
and had pity on me. He took off his coat, 
put it on me and brought me here. And you 
have fed me, given me drink, and shown 
pity on me. God will reward you!” 

Matryéna rose, took from the window 
Simon’s old shirt she had been patching, and 
gave it to the. stranger. She also brought 
out a pair of trousers for him. 

“There,” said she, “I see you have no 
shirt. Put this on, and lie down where you 
please, in the loft or on the oven’.” 


1The brick oven in a Russian peasant’s hut 
is usually built so as to leave a flat top, large 
enough to lie on, for those who want to sleep 
in a warm place, , 


44 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


The stranger took off the coat, put on the 
shirt, and lay down in the loft. Matryéna 
put out the candle, took the coat, and climbed 
to where her husband lay. 

Matryéna drew the skirts of the coat over 
her and lay down, but could not sleep; she 
could not get the stranger out of her mind. 

When she remembered that he had eaten 
their last piece of bread and that there 
was none for to-morrow, and thought of 
the shirt and trousers she had given away, 
she felt grieved; but when she remembered 
how he had smiled, her heart was glad. 

Long did Matryéna lie awake, and she 
noticed that Simon also was awake—he drew 
the coat towards him. 

“Simon !” 

“Well?” 

“You have had the last of the bread, and 
I have not put any to rise. I don’t know 
what we shall do to-morrow. Perhaps I can 
borrow some of neighbour Martha.” 

“If we’re alive we shall find something 
to eat.” 

The woman lay still awhile, and then said, 
“He seems a good man, but why does he not 
tell us who he is?” 





WHAT MEN LIVE BY 45 


“T suppose he has his reasons.” 

“Simon !” 

“Well?” 

“We give; but why does nobody give us 
anything?” 

Simon did not know what to say; so he 
only said, “Let us stop talking,” and turned 
over and went to sleep. 


v 


In the morning Simon awoke. The chil- 
dren were still asleep; his wife had gone to 
the neighbour’s, to borrow some bread. The 
stranger alone was sitting on the bench, 
dressed in the old shirt and trousers, and 
looking upwards. His face was brighter than 
it had been the day before. 

Simon said to him, “Well, friend; the belly 
wants bread, and the naked body clothes. 
One has to work for a living. What work 
do you know?” 

“Tt do not know any.” 

This surprised Simon, but he said, “Men 
who want to learn can learn anything.” 

“Men work, and I will work also.’ 


46 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


“What is your name?” 

‘*Michael.” 

“Well, Michael, if you don’t wish to talk 
about yourself, that is your own affair; but 
you'll have to earn a living for yourself. If 
you will work as I tell you, I will give you 
food and shelter.” 

“May God reward you! I will learn. 
Show me what to do.” 

Simon took yarn, put it round his thumb 
and began to twist it. 

“It is easy enough—see!” 

Michael watched him, put some yarn round 
his own thumb in the same way, caught the 
knack, and twisted the yarn also. 

Then Simon showed him how to wax the 
thread. This also Michael mastered. Next 
Simon showed him how to twist the bristle 
in, and how to sew, and this, too, Michael 
learned at once. 

Whatever Simon showed him he understood 
at once, and after three days he worked as 
if he had sewn boots all his life. He worked 
without stopping, and ate little. When work 
was over he sat silently, looking upwards. 
He hardly went into the street, spoke only 
when necessary, and neither joked nor 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 47 


laughed. They never saw him smile, except 
that first evening when Matryona gave them 
supper. 


vi 


Day by day and week by week the year 
went round. Michael lived and worked with 
Simon. His fame spread till people said 
that no one sewed boots so neatly and 
strongly as Simon’s workman, Michael; and 
from all the district round people came to 
Simon for their boots, and he began to be 
well off. 

One winter day, as Simon and Michael sat 
working, a carriage on sledge-runners, with 
three horses and with bells, drove up to the 
hut. ‘They looked out of the window; the 
carriage stopped at their door, a fine serv- 
ant jumped down from the box and opened 
the door. A gentleman in a fur coat got out 
and walked up to Simon’s hut. Up jumped 
Matryéna and opened the door wide. The 
gentleman stooped to enter the hut, and when 
he drew himself up again his head nearly 
reached the ceiling, ana he seemed quite to 
fill his end of the room. 


48 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


Simon rose, bowed, and looked at the gen- 
tleman with astonishment. He had never. 
seen any one like him. Simon himself was - 
lean, Michael was thin, and Matryéna was 
dry as a bone, but this man was like some 
one from another world: red-faced, burly, 
with a neck like a bull’s, and looking alto- 
gether as if he were cast “in iron. 

The gentleman puffed, threw off his fur 
coat, sat down on the bench, and said, “Which 
of you is the master bootmaker?” 

“J am, your Excellency,” said Simon, com- 
ing forward. 

Then the gentleman shouted to his lad, 
“Hey, Fédka, bring the leather!” 

The servant ran in, bringing a parcel. The 
gentleman took the parcel and put it on the 
table. 

“Untie it,” said he. The lad untied it. 

The gentleman pointed to the leather. 

“Look here, shoemaker,” said he, “do you 
see this leather?” 

“Yes, your honour.” 

“But do you know what sort of leather 
it is?” 

Simon felt the leather and said, “It is good 
leather.” 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 49 


“Good, indeed! Why, you fool, you never 
saw such leather before in your life. It’s 
- German, and cost twenty roubles.” 

_ Simon was frightened, and said, “Where 
should I ever see leather like that?” 

“Just so! Now, can you make it into 
boots for me?” 

“Yes, your Excellency, I can.” 

Then the gentleman shouted at him: “You 
can, can you? Well, remember whom you 
are to make them for, and what the leather 
is. You must make me boots that will wear 
for a year, neither losing shape nor coming 
unsewn. If you can do it, take the leather 
and cut it up; but if you can’t, say so. I 
warn you now, if your boots come unsewn 
or lose shape within a year, I will have you 
put in prison. If they don’t burst or lose 
shape for a year, I will pay you ten roubles 
for your work.” 

Simon was frightened, and did not know 
what to say. He glanced at Michael and 
nudging him with his elbow, whispered: “Shall 
I take the work?” 

Michael nodded his head as if to say, “Yes, 
- take it.” 

Simon did as Michael advised, and under- 


50 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


took to make boots that would not lose shape 
or split for a whole year. 

Calling his servant, the gentleman told him 
to pull the boot off his left leg, which he 
stretched out. 

“Take my measure!” said he. 

Simon stitched a paper measure seventeen 
inches long, smoothed it out, knelt down, 
wiped his hands well on his apron so as not 
to soil the gentleman’s sock, and began to 
measure. He measured the sole, and round 
the instep, and began to measure the calf 
of the leg, but the paper was too short. The 
calf of the leg was as thick as a beam. 

“Mind you don’t make it too tight in 
the leg.” 

Simon stitched on another strip of paper. 
The gentleman twitched his toes about in his 
sock, looking round at those in the hut, and 
as he did so he noticed Michael. 

“Whom have you there?” asked he. 

“That is my workman. He will sew the 
boots.” 

“Mind,” said the gentleman to Michael, 
“remember to make them so that they will 
last me a year.” 

Simon also looked at Michael, and saw 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY ey 


that Michael was not looking at the gentle- 
man, but was gazing into the corner behind 
the gentleman, as if he saw some one there. 
Michael looked and looked, and suddenly. he 
smiled, and his face became brighter. 

“What are you grinning at, you ivol?” 
' thundered the gentleman. “You had better 
look to it that the boots are ready in time.” 

“They shall be ready in good time,” said 
Michael. 

“Mind it is so,” said the gentleman, and 
he put on his boots and his fur coat, wrapped 
the latter round him, and went to the door. 
But he forgot to stoop, and struck his head 
against the lintel. 

He swore and rubbed his head. Then he 
took his seat in the carriage and drove away. 

When he had gone, Simon said: “There’s 
a figure of a man for you! You could not 
kill him with a mallet. He almost knocked 
out the lintel, but little harm it did him.” 

And Matryona said: “Living as he does, 
how shoyld he not grow strong? Death it- 
self can’t touch such a rock as that.” 


52 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


Vit 


Then Simon said to Michael: “Well, we 
have taken the work, but we must see we 
don’t get into trouble over it. The leather 
is dear, and the gentleman hot-tempered. We - 
must make no mistakes. Come, your eye 
is truer and your hands have become nimbler 
than mine, so you take this measure and cut 
out the boots. I will finish off the sewing 
of the vamps.” 

Michael did as he was told. He took the 
leather, spread it out on the table, folded it 
in two, took a knife and began to cut out. 

Matryéna came and watched him cutting, 
and was surprised to see how he was doing 
it. Matryéna was accustomed to seeing boots 
made, and she looked and saw that Michael 
was not cutting the leather for boots, but 
was cutting it round. 

She wished to say something, but she 
thought to herself: “Perhaps I do not un- 
derstand how gentlemen’s boots should be 
made. I suppose Michael knows more about 
it—and I won’t interfere.” 

When Michael had cut up the leather, he 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 53 


took a thread and began to sew not with 
two ends, as boots are sewn, but with a sin- 
gle end, as for soft slippers. 

Again Matryéna wondered, but again she 
did not interfere. Michael sewed on stead- 
ily, till noon. Then Simon rose for dinner, 
looked around, and saw that Michael had 
made slippers out of the gentleman’s leather. 

“Ah!” groaned Simon, and he _ thought, 
“How is it that Michael, who has been with 
me a whole year and never made a mistake 
before, aout do such a dreadful thing? The 
gentleman ordered high boots, welted, with 
whole fronts, and Michael has made soft 
slippers with single soles, and has wasted 
the leather. What am I to say to the gen- 
tleman? I can never replace leather such 
as this.” 

And he said to Michael, “What are you 
doing, friend? You have ruined me! You 
know the gentleman ordered high boots, but 
see what you have made!” 

Hardly had he begun to rebuke Michael, 
when “rat-tat” went the iron ring that hung 
at the door. Some one was knocking. They 
looked out of the window; a man had come 
on horseback, and was fastening his horse. 


54 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


They opened the door, and the servant who 
had been with the gentleman came in. 

“Good day,” said he. 

“Good day,” replied Simon. “What can we 
do for you?” 

“My mistress has sent me about the boots.” 

“What about the boots?” 

“Why, my master no longer needs them. 
He is dead.” 

“Ts it possible?” 

“He did not live to get home after leaving 
you, but died in the carriage. _When we 
reached home and the servants came to help 
him alight, he rolled over like a sack. He 
was dead already, and so stiff that he could 
hardly be got out of the carriage. My 
mistress sent me here, saying: “Tell the boot- 
maker that the gentleman who ordered boots 
of him and left the leather for them no 
longer needs the boots, but that he must 
quickly make soft slippers for the corpse. 
Wait till they are ready, and bring them 
back with you.’ That is why I have come.” 

Michael gathered up the remnants of the 
leather; rolled them up, took the soft slip- 
pers he had made, slapped them together, 
wiped them down with his apron, and handed 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 55 


them and the roll of leather to the servant, 
who took them and said: “Good-bye, masters, 
and good day to you!” 


VIII 


Another year passed, and another, and 
Michael was now living his sixth year with 
Simon. He lived as before. He went no- 
where, only spoke when necessary, and had 
only smiled twice in all those years—once 
when Matryéna gave him food, and a second 
time when the gentleman was in their hut. 
Simon was more than pleased with his work- 
man. He never now asked him where he 
came from, and only feared lest Michael, 
should go away. 

They were all at home one day. Matryéna 
was putting iron pots in the oven; the chil- 
dren were running along the benches and 
looking out of the window; Simon was sew- 
ing at one window, and Michael was fasten- 
ing on a heel at the other. 

One of the boys ran along the bench to 
Michael, leant on his shoulder, and looked 
out of the window. / 


56 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


“Look, Uncle Michael! There is a lady 
with little girls! She seems to be coming 
here. And one of the girls is lame.” 

When the boy said that, Michael dropped 
his work, turned to the window, and looked 
out into the street. 

Simon was surprised. Michael never used 
to look out into the street, but now he pressed 
against the window, staring at something. 
Simon also looked out, and saw that a well- 
dressed woman was really coming to his hut, 
leading by the hand two little girls in fur 
coats and woollen shawls. The girls could 
hardly be told one from the other, except 
that one of them was crippled in her left 
leg and walked with a limp. 

The woman stepped into the porch and en- 
tered the passage. Feeling about for the 
entrance she found the latch, which she lifted, 
and opened the door. She let the two girls 
go in first, and followed them into the hut. 

“Good day, good folk!” 

“Pray come in,” said Simon. “What can 
we do for you?” 

The woman sat down by the table. The 
two little girls pressed close to her knees, 
afraid of the people in the hut. 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY ery I 


“I want leather shoes made for these two 
little girls, for spring.” 

“We can do that. We never have made 
such small shoes, but we can make them; 
either welted or turnover shoes, linen lined. 
My man, Michael, is a master at the work.” 

Simon glanced at Michael and saw that 
_he had left his work and was sitting with 
his eyes fixed on the little girls. Simon 
was surprised. It was true the girls were 
pretty, with black eyes, plump, and rosy- 
cheeked, and they wore nice kerchiefs and 
fur coats, but still Simon could not under- 
stand why Michael should look at them like 
that—just as if he had known them before. 
He was puzzled, but went on talking with 
the woman, and arranging the price. Hav- 
ing fixed it, he prepared the measure. The 
woman lifted the lame girl on to her lap and 
said: “Take two measures from this little 
‘girl. Make one shoe for the lame foot and 
three for the sound one. They both have 
the same sized feet. They are twins.” 

Simon took the measure and, speaking of 
the lame girl, said: “How did it happen to 
her? She is such a pretty girl. Was she 
born so?” 


68 ~° WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


“No, her mother crushed her leg.” 

Then Matryéna joined in. She wondered 
who this woman was, and whose the children 
were, so she said: “Are not you their mother, 
then?” . 

“No, my good woman; I am neither their 
mother nor any relation to them. They were 
quite strangers to me, but I adopted them.” 

“They are not your children and yet you 
are so fond of theni?” | 

“How can I help being fond of them? I 
fed them both at my own breasts. I had a 
child of my own, but God took him. I was 
not so fond of him as I now am of them.” 

“Then whose children are they?” 


Ix 


The woman, having begun talking, told 
them the whole story. 

“It is about six years since their parents 
died, both in one week: their father was 
buried on the Tuesday, and their mother 
died on the Friday. These orphans were 
born three days after their father’s death, 
and their mother did not live another day. 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 59 


My husband and I were then living as peas- 
ants in the village. We were neighbours of 
_ theirs, our yard being next to theirs. Their 
father was a lonely man; a wood-cutter in 
the forest. When felling trees one day, 
they let one fall on him. It fell across his 
body and crushed his bowels out. They 
hardly got him home before his soul went 
to God; and that same week his wife gave 
birth to twins—these little girls. She was 
poor and alone; she had no one, young or 
old, with her. Alone she gave them birth, 
and alone she met her death. 

“The next morning I went to see her, but 
when I entered the hut, she, poor thing, was 
already stark and cold. In dying she had 
rolled on to this child and crushed her leg. 
The village folk came to the hut, washed 
the body, laid her out, made a coffin, and 
buried her. They were good folk. The 
babies were left alone. What was to be 
done with them? I was the only woman there 
who had a baby at the time.. I was nursing 
my first-born—eight weeks old. So I took 
them for a time. The peasants came to- 
gether, and thought and thought what to 
do with them; and at last they said to mes 


60 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


‘For the present, Mary, you had better keep 
the girls, and later on we will arrange what 
to do for them.’ So I nursed the sound one 
at my. breast, but at first I did not feed 
this crippled one. I did, not suppose she 
would live. But then I thought to myself, 
why should the poor innocent suffer? I 
pitied her, and began to feed her. And so 
I fed my own boy and these two—the three 
of them—at my own breast. I was young 
and strong, and had good food, and God gave 
me so much milk that at times it even over- 
flowed. I used sometimes to feed two at a 
time, while the third was waiting. When 
one had had enough I nursed the third. And 
God so ordered it that these grew up, while 
my own was buried before he was two years 
old. And I had no more children, though 
we prospered. Now my husband is working 
for the corn merchant at the mill. The pay 
is good, and we are well off. But I have no 
children of my own, and how lonely I should 
be without these little girls! How can I 
help loving them! ‘They are the joy of my 
life!” 

She pressed the lame little girl to her with 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 61 


one hand, while with the other she wiped the 
tears from her cheeks. 

And Matryéna sighed, and said: “The 
proverb is true that says, ‘One may live 
without father or mother, but one cannot live 
without God.’ ” 

So they talked together, when suddenly 
the whole hut was lighted up as though by 
summer lightning from the corner where 
Michael sat. They all looked towards him 
and saw him sitting, his hands folded on 
his knees, gazing upwards and smiling. 


x 


The woman went away with the girls. 
Michael rose from the bench, put down his 
work, and took off his apron. Then, bowing 
low to Simon and his wife, he said: “Fare- 
well, masters. God has forgiven me. I ask 
your forgiveness, too, for anything done 
amiss.” 

And they saw that a light shone from 
Michael. And Simon rose, bowed down to 
Michael, and said: “I see, Michael, that you 


62 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


are no common man, and I can neither keep 
you nor question you. ny tell me this: 
how is it that when I found you and 
brought you home, you were gloomy, and 
» when my wife gave you food you smiled at 
her and became brighter? ‘Then when the 
gentleman came to order the boots, you 
smiled again and became brighter still? And 
now, when this woman brought the little 
girls, you smiled a third time, and have 
become as bright as day? ‘Tell me, Michael, 
why does your face shine so, and why did 
you smile those three times?” 

And Michael answered: “Light shines from 
me because I have been punished, but now 
God has pardoned me. And I smiled three 
times, because God sent me to learn three 
truths, and I have learnt them. One I learnt 
when your wife pitied me, and that is why 
I smiled the first time. The second I learnt 
when the rich man ordered the hoots, and 
then I smiled again. And now, when I saw 
those little girls, I learnt the third and last 
truth, and I smiled the third time.” 

And Simon said, “Tell me, Michael, what 
did God punish you for? and what were the 
three truths? that I, too, may know them,” 


WHAT MEN LIVE #Y 63 


And Michael answered: “God punished 
me for disobeying Him. I was an angel in 
heaven and disobeyed God. God sent me to 
fetch a woman’s soul. I flew to earth, and 
saw a sick woman lying alone, who had just 
given birth to twin girls. They moved feebly 
at their mother’s side, but she could not lift 
thern to her breast. When she saw me, she 
understood that God had sent me for her 
soul, and she wept and said: ‘Angel of 
God! My husband has just been buried, 
killed by a falling tree. I have neither sister, 
nor aunt, nor mother: no one to care for my 
orphans. Do not take my soul! Let me 
nurse my babes, feed them, and set them on 
their feet before I die. Children cannot live 
without father or mother.” And I _ heark- 
ened to her. I placed one child at her breast 
and gave the other into her arms, and re- 
turned to the Lord in heaven. I flew to the 
Lord, and said: ‘I could not take the soul 
of the mother. Her husband was killed by a 
tree; the woman has twins, and prays that 
her soul may not be taken. She says: “Let 
me nurse and feed my children, and set 
them on their feet. Children cannot live 
without father or mother.” I have not taken 


64 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


her soul. And God said: ‘Go—take the 
mother’s soul, and learn three truths: Learn 
What dwells in man, What is not given to 
man, and What men live by. When thou 
hast learnt these things, thou shalt return to 
heaven.’ So I flew again to earth and took 
the mother’s soul. The babes dropped from 
her breasts. Her body rolled over on the 
bed and crushed one babe, twisting its leg. 
I rose above the village, wishing to take her 
soul to God; but a wind seized me, and my 
wings drooped and dropped off. Her soul 
‘rose alone to God, while I fell to earth by 
the roadside.” 


xI 


And Simon and Matryéna understood who 
it was that had lived with them, and whom 
‘they had clothed and fed. And they wept 
with awe and with joy. And the angel said: — 
“I. was alone in the field, naked. I had 
never known human needs, cold and hunger, 
till I became a man. I was famished, frozen, 
and did not know what to do. I saw, near 
the field I was in, a shrine built for God, — 
and I went to it Hoping to find shelter. But 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 65 


the shrine was locked, and I could not enter. 
So I sat down behind the shrine to shelter 
myself at least from the wind. Evening drew 
on. I was hungry, frozen, and in pain. Sud- 
denly I heard a man coming along the road. 
He carried a pair of boots, and was talking 
to himself. For the first time since I be- 
came a man I saw the mortal face of a man, 
and his face seemed terrible to me and I 
turned from it. And I heard the man talk- 
ing to himself of how to cover his body from 
the cold in winter, and how to feed wife and 
children. And I thought: ‘I am perishing 
of cold and hunger, and here is a man think- 
ing only of how to clothe himself and _ his 
wife, and how to get bread for themselves. 
He cannot help me.’ When the man saw me 
he frowned and became still more terrible, 
and passed me by on the other side. I de- 
spaired; but suddenly I heard him coming 
back. I looked up, and did not recognize 
the same man: before, I had seen death in 
his face; but now he was alive, and I recog- 
nized in him the presence of God. He came 
up to me, clothed me, took .me with him, and 
brought me to his home. I entered the house; 
-@ woman came to meet us and began to 


66 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


speak. The woman was still more terrible 
than the man had been; the spirit of death 
came from her mouth; I could not breathe 
for the stench of death that spread around 
her. She wished to drive me out into the 
cold, and I knew that if she did so she would 
die. Suddenly her husband spoke to her of 
God, and the woman changed at once. And 
when she brought me food and looked at me, 
I glanced at her and saw that death no 
longer dwelt in her; she had become alive, 
and in her too I saw God. 

“Then I remembered the first lesson God 
had set me: ‘Learn what dwells in man. 
And I understood that in man dwells Love! 
I was glad that God had already begun to 
show me what He had promised, and I smiled 
for the first time. But I had not yet learnt 
all. I did not yet know What is not given 
to man, and What men live by. 

“TI lived with you, and a year passed. A 
man came to order boots that should wear 
for a year without losing shape or cracking. 
I looked at him, and suddenly, behind his 
shoulder, I saw my comrade—the angel of 
death. None but me saw that angel; but I 
knew him, and knew that before the sun set 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 67 


he would take that rich man’s soul. And I 
thought to myself, ‘The man is making 
preparations for a year, and does not know 
that he will die before evening.” And I re- 
membered God’s second saying, ‘Learn what 
is not given to man.’ 

“What dwells in man I already knew. Now 
I learnt what is not given him. It is not 
given to man to know his own needs. And I 
smiled for the second time. I was glad to 
have seen my comrade angel—glad also that 
God had revealed to me the second saying. 

“But I still did not know all. I did not 
know What men live by. And I lived on, 
waiting till God should reveal to me the last 
lesson. In the sixth year came the girl-twins 
with the woman; and I recognized the girls, 
and heard how they had been kept alive. 
Having heard the story, I thought, ‘Their 
mother besought me for the children’s sake, 
and I believed her when she said that chil- 
dren cannot live without father or mother; 
but a stranger has nursed them, and_ has 
brought them up.’ And when the woman 
showed her love for the children that were 
not her own, and wept over them, I saw in 
her the living God, and understood -What 


68 WHAT MEN LIVE BY 


men live by. And I knew that God had re- 
vealed to me the last lesson, and had forgiven 
my sin. And then I smiled for the third 
time.” 

XII 

And the angel’s body was bared, and he 
was clothed in light so that eye could not look, 
on him; and his voice grew louder, as though 
it came not from him but from heaven above. : 
And the angel said: 

“T have learnt that all men live not by care 
for themselves, but by love. 

“It was not given to the mother to know 
what her children needed for their life. Nor 
was it given to the rich man to know what 
he himself needed. Nor is it given to any 
man to know whether, when evening comes, 
he will need boots for his body or slippers 
for his corpse. 

“T remained alive when I was a man, not 
by care of myself, but because love was 
present in a passer-by, and because he and 
his wife pitied and loved me. The orphans 
remained alive, not because of their mother’s 
care, but because there was love in the heart 
of a woman a stranger to them, who pitied 
and loved them. And all men live not by the 


WHAT MEN LIVE BY 69 


ought they spend on their own welfare, 
it because love exists in man. 

“I knew before that God gave life to men 
id desires that they should live; now I 
‘derstood more than that. | 
“I understood that God does not wish men 
live apart, and therefore he does not re- 
al to them what each one needs for himself ; 
t he wishes them to live united, and there- 
re reveals to each of them what is necessary 
r all, 

‘IT have now understood that though it 
‘ms to men that they live by care for them- 
ves, in truth it is love alone by which they 
&. He who has love, is in God, and God is 
him, for God is love.” 

And the angel sang praise to God, so that 
' hut trembled at his voice. The roof 
ned, and a column of fire rose from earth 
heaven. Simon and his wife and children 
[to the ground. Wings appeared upon the 
sel’s shoulders, and he rose into the heay- 


ind when Simon came to himself the hut 

od as before, and there was no one in it 
his own family. 

881. OS 





A FAIRY TALE 














A FAIRY TALE 


(HE STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


'D OF HIS TWO BROTHERS, SIMON 
‘HE SOLDIER AND TARAS THE 
‘TOUT; AND OF HIS DUMB SISTER. 
TARTHA, AND OF THE OLD DEVIL 
\ND THE THREE LITTLE IMPS. 


I 


'NCE upon a time, in a certain province 
+ certain country, there lived a rich 
sant, who had three sons: Simon the Sol- 
', Taras the Stout, and Ivdn the Fool, 
des an unmarried daughter, Martha, who 
deaf and @umb. Simon the Soldier went 
he wars to serve the king; Taras the Stout 
t to a merchant’s in town to trade, and 
1 the Fool stayed at home with the lass, 
ill the ground till his back bent. 

mon the Soldier obtained high rank and 


"4 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


an estate, and married a nobleman’s daugh 
ter. His pay was large and his estate wa 
large, but yet he could not make ends mee’ 
What the husband earned his lady wife squan 
dered, and they never had money enough. 

So Simon the Soldier went to his estat 
to collect the income, but his steward saic 
“Where is any income to come from? W 
have neither cattle, nor tools, nor horse, no 
plough, nor harrow. We must first get a 
these, and then the money will come.” 

Then Simon the Soldier went to his fathe 
and said: “You, father, are rich, but hav 
given me nothing. Divide what you have, an 
give me a third part, that I may improv 
my estate.” 

But the old man said: “You brought not! 
ing into my house; why should I give you 
third part? It would be unfair to Ivan an 
to the girl.” 

But Simon answered, “He is a fool; an 
she is an old maid, and deaf -and dumb b« 
sides; what’s the good of property to them: 

The old man said, “We will see what Iva 
says about it.” 

And Ivdn said, “Let him take what I 
wants.” 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 75 


So Simon the Soldier took his share of 
his father’s goods and removed them to his 
estate, and went off again to serve the king. 

Tards the Stout also gathered much money, 
and married into a merchant’s family, but 
still he wanted more. So he, also, came to his 
father and said, “Give me my portion.” 

But the old man did not wish to give 
Tards a share either, and said, “You brought 
nothing here. Ivdn has earned all we have 
in the house, and why should we wrong him 
and the girl?” 

But Tards said, “What does he need? He 
is a fool! He cannot marry, no one would 
have him; and the dumb lass does not need 
anything either. Look here, Ivdn!” said he, 
“sive me half the corn; I don’t want the 
tools, and of the live stock I will take only 
the grey stallion, which is of no use to you 
for the plough.” 

Ivén laughed and said, “Take what you 
want. I will work to earn some more.” 

So they gave a share to Taras also; and he 
carted the corn away to town, and took the 
grey stallion. And Ivdn was left with one 
old mare, to lead his peasant life as before, 
and to support his father and mother. 


76 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


II 


Now the old Devil was vexed that the 
brothers had not quarrelled over the division, 
but had parted peacefully; and he summoned 
three imps. 

“Took here,” said he, “there are three broth- 
ers: Simon the Soldier, Tards the Stout, and 
Ivdn the Fool. They should have quarrelled, 
but are living peaceably and meet on friendly 
terms. The fool Ivdn has spoilt the whole 
business for me. Now you three go and 
tackle those three brothers, and worry them 
till they scratch each other’s eyes out! Do 
you think you can do it?” 

“Yes, we'll do it,” said they. 

“How will you set about it?” 

“Why,” said they, “first well ruin them. 
And when they haven’t a crust to eat we'll 
tie them up together, and then theyll fight 
each other, sure enough!” 

“That’s capital; I see you understand your 
business. Go, and don’t come back till you’ve — 


set them by the ears, or I'll skin you alive!” . , 


The imps went off into a swamp, and began -_ 
to consider how they sheuld set to work 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 77 


They disputed and disputed, each wanting 
the lightest job; but at last they decided to 
cast lots which of the brothers each imp 
should tackle. If one imp finished his task 
before the others, he was to come and help 
them: So the imps cast lots, and appointed 
a time to meet again in the swamp to learn 
who .had succeeded and who needed help. 

The appointed time came round, and the 
imps met again in the swamp as agreed. 
And each began to tell how matters stood. 
The first, who had undertaken Simon the 
Soldier, began: “My business is going on 
well. To-morrow Simon will return to his 
father’s house.” 

His comrades asked, “How did you manage 
it?” 

“First,” says he, “I made Simon so bold 
that he offered to conquer the whole world 
for his king; and the king made him his 
general and sent him to fight the King of 
India. ‘They met for battle, but the night 
before, I damped all the powder in Simon’s 
camp, and made more straw soldiers for the 
Indian King than you could count. And when 
Simon’s soldiers saw the straw soldiers sur- 
rounding them, they grew frightened. Simon 


78 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


ordered them to fire; but their cannons and 
guns would not go off. ‘Then Simon’s sol- 
diers were quite frightened, and ran like 
sheep, and the Indian King slaughtered them. 
Simon was disgraced. He has been deprived 
of his estate, and to-morrow they intend to 
execute him. There is only one day’s work 
left for me to do; I have just to let him 
out of prison that he may escape home. 
To-morrow I shall be ready to help which- 
ever of you needs me.” 

Then the second imp, who had Taras in 
hand, began to tell how he had fared. “I 
don’t want any help,” said he, “my job is 
going all right. ‘Tards can’t hold out for 
more than a week. First I caused him to 
grow greedy and fat. His covetousness be- 
came so great that whatever he saw he wanted | 
to buy. He has spent all his money in buy-— 
ing immense lots of goods, and still continues — 
to buy. Already he has begun to use bor- 
- towed money. His debts hang like a weight 
round his neck, and he is so involved that he 
can never get clear. In a week his bills come 
due, and before then I will spoil all his stock. 
He will be unable to pay and will have to 
go home to his father.” 





STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL = 79 


Then they asked the third imp (Ivdn’s), 
“And how are you getting on?” 

“Well,” said he, “my affair goes badly. 
First I spat into his drink to make his stom- 
ach ache, and then I went into his field and 
hammered the ground hard as a stone that 
he should not be able to till it. I thought he 
wouldn’t plough it, but like the fool that he 
is, he came with his plough and began to 
make a furrow. He groaned with the pain 
in his stomach, but went on ploughing. I 
broke his plough for him, but he went home, 
got out another, and again started ploughing. 
I crept under the earth and caught hold of 
the ploughshares, but there was no holding 
them; he leant heavily upon the plough, and 
the ploughshare was sharp and cut my hands. 
He has all but finished ploughing the field, 
only one little strip is left. Come, brothers, 
and help me; for if we don’t get the better 
of him, all our labour is lost. If the fool 
holds out and keeps on working the land, his 
brothers will never know want, for he will 
feed them both.” 

Simon the Soldier’s imp promised to come 
next day to help, and so they parted. 


60 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


Tit 


Ivdn had ploughed up the whole fallow, all 
but one little strip. He came to finish it. 
Though his stomach ached, the ploughing 
must be done. He freed the harness ropes, 
turned the plough, and began to work. He 
drove one furrow, but coming back the plough 
began to drag as if it had caught in a root. 
It was the imp, who had twisted his legs 
round the ploughshare and was holding it 
back. 

“What a strange thing!” thought Ivan. 
“There were no roots here at all, and yet 
here’s a root.” | 

Ivan pushed his hand deep into the fur- 
row, groped about, and, feeling something 
soft, seized hold of it and pulled it out. It 
was black like a root, but it wriggled. Why, 
it was a live imp! 

“What a nasty thing!” said Ivan, and he 
lifted his hand to dash it against the plough, 
but the imp squealed out: 

“Don’t hurt me, and [ll do anything you 
tell me to.” . . . 

“What can you do?” 

“Anything you tell me to.” 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 8] 


Ivan scratched his head. 

“My stomach aches,” said he; “can you cure 
that?” : 

“Certainly I can.” 

“Well then, do so.” 

The imp went down into the furrow, 
searched about, scratched with his claws, and 
pulled. out a bunch of three little roots, which 
he handed to Ivan. 

“Here,” says he, “whoever swallows one of 
these will be cured of any illness.” 
| Ivén took the roots, separated them, and 

swallowed one. The pain in his stomach was 
cured at once. The imp again begged to be 
let off; “I will jump right into the earth, 
and never come back,” said he. 

“All right,” said Ivan; “begone, and God be 
with you!” 

And as soon as Ivén mentioned God, the 
imp plunged into the earth like a stone 
thrown into the water. Only a hole was 
left. 

Ivan put the other two pieces of root into 
his cap and went on with his ploughing. 
He ploughed the strip to the end, turned his 
plough over, and went home. He unhar- 
nessed the horse, entered the hut, and there 


eee eS 


82 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


he saw his elder brother, Simon the Soldier 
and his wife, sitting at supper. Simon’s es- 
tate had been confiscated, he himself had 
barely managed to escape from prison, and 
he had come back to live in his father’s house. 

Simon saw Ivan, and said: “I have come to 
live with you. Feed me and my wife till I 
get another appointment.” 

“All right,” said Ivan, “you can stay with 
us.” 

But when Ivdn was about to sit down on 
the bench, the lady disliked the smell, and said 
to her husband: “I cannot sup with a dirty 
peasant.” 

So Simon the Soldier said, “My lady says 
you don’t smell nice. You'd better go and 
eat outside.” 

“All right,” said Ivan; “any way I must 
spend the night outside, for I have to pasture 
the mare.” 

So he took some bread, and his coat, and 
went with the mare into the fields. 


IV 


Having finished his work that night, Simon’s 
imp came, as agreed, to find Ivdn’s imp and 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL _ 83 


help him to subdue the fool. He came to the 
field and searched and searched; but instead 
of his comrade he found only a hole. 

“Clearly,” thought he, “some evil has be- 
fallen my comrade. I must take his place. 
The field is ploughed up, so the fool must be 
tackled in the meadow.” 

So the imp went to the meadows and 
flooded Ivan’s hayfield with water, which left 
the grass all covered with mud. 

Ivan returned from the pasture at dawn, 
sharpened his scythe, and went to mow the 
hayfield. He began to mow, but had only 
swung the scythe once or twice when the 
edge turned so that it would not cut at all, 
but needed resharpening. Ivan struggled on 
for awhile, and then said: “It’s no good. 
I must go home and bring a tool to straighten 
the scythe, and [ll get a chunk of bread at 
the same time. If I have to spend a week 
here, I won’t leave till the mowing’s done.” 

The imp heard this and thought to himself, 
“This fool is a tough ’un; I can’t get round 
him this way. I must try some other dodge.” 

Ivan returned, sharpened his scythe, and 
began to mow. The imp crept into the grass 
and began to catch the scythe by the heel, 


84 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


sending the point into the earth. Ivan found 
the work very hard, but he mowed the whole 
meadow, except one little bit which was in 
the swamp. ‘The imp crept into the swamp 
and, thought he to himself, “Though I cut 
my paws I will not let him mow.” 

Ivan reached the swamp. The grass didn’t 
seem thick, but yet it resisted the scythe. 
Ivan grew angry and began to swing the 
scythe with all his might. The imp had to 
give in; he could not keep up with the scythe, 
and, seeing it was a bad business, he scram- 
bled into a bush. Ivd4n swung the scythe, 
caught the bush, and cut off half the imp’s 
tail. Then he finished mowing the grass, 
told his sister to rake it up, and went himself 
to mow the rye. He went with the scythe, 
but the dock-tailed imp was there first, and 
entangled the rye so that the scythe was of 
no use. But Ivan went home and got his 
sickle, and began to reap with that, and he 
reaped the whole of the rye. 

Pee it’s time,” said he, “to start on the 
oats.” 

The dock-tailed imp heard this, and 
thought, “I couldn’t get the better of him 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL _ 85 


im the rye, but I shall on the oats. Only wait 
ill the morning.” 

In the morning the imp hurried to the oat 
ield, but the oats were already mowed down! 
van had mowed them by night, in order that 
28s grain should shake out. The imp grew 
negry. 

“He has cut me all over and tired me out 

-the fool. It is worse than war. The ac- 
ursed fool never sleeps; one can’t keep up 
ith him. I will get into his stacks now and 
ot them.” 
So the imp entered the rye, and crept 
mong the sheaves, and they began to rot. 
fe heated them, grew warm himself, and fell 
sleep. 

Ivan harnessed the mare, and went with the 
iss to cart the rye. He came to the heaps, 
ad began to pitch the rye into the cart. He 
sssed two sheaves, and again thrust his 
2rk—right into the imp’s back. He lifts the 
ork and sees on the prongs a live imp, dock- 
led, struggling, wriggling, and trying to 
imp off. 

“What, you nasty thing, are you here 
ain?” 

“I’m another,” said the imp. “The first was 


36 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


my brother. I’ve been with your brother 
Simon.” 

“Well,” said Ivan, “whoever you are, you’ve 
met the same fate!” 

He was about to dash him against the cart, 
but the imp cried out: “Let me off, and I 
will not only let you alone, but Pll do any- 
thing you tell me to do.” 

“What can you do?” 

“T can make soldiers out of anything you 
like.” 

“But what use are they?” 

“You can turn them to any use; they can 
do anything you please.” 

“Can they sing?” 

“Yes, if you want them to.” 

“All right; you may make me some.” 

And the imp said, “Here, take a sheaf of 
rye, then bump it upright on the ground, and 
simply say: 

“OQ sheaf! my slave 

This order gave: 

Where a straw has been 
Let a soldier be seen!” 


Ivén took the sheaf, struck it on the 
ground, and said what the imp had told him 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 87 


to. The sheaf fell asunder, and all the straws 
changed into soldiers, with a trumpeter and 
a drummer playing in front, so that there 
was a whole regiment. 

Ivan laughed. 

“How clever!” said he. “This is fine! How 
pleased the girls will be!” 

“Now let me go,” said the imp. 

“No,” said Ivan, “I must make my soldiers 
of thrashed straw, otherwise good grain will 
be wasted. Teach me how to change them 
back again into the sheaf. I want to thrash 
it.” 

And the imp said, “Repeat: 


‘Let each be a straw 
Who was soldier before, 
For my true slave 

This order gave!’” 


Ivdn said this, and the sheaf reappeared. 

Again the imp began to beg, “Now let me 

or? 

“All right.” And Ivdn pressed him against 
the side of the cart, held him down with his 
hand, and pulled him ‘off the fork. 

“God be with you,” said he. 


38 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


And as soon as he mentioned God, the imp 
slunged into the earth like a stone into water. 
Jnly a hole was left. 

Ivan returned home, and there was his other 
rother, Tards with his wife, sitting at supper. 

Tards the Stout had failed to pay his debts, 
ad run away from his creditors, and had 
ome home to his father’s house. When he 
aw Ivan, “Look here,’ said he, “till I can 
tart in business again, I want you to keep 
ne and my wife.” 

“All right,” said Ivan, “you can live here, 
f you like.” 

Ivan took off his coat and sat down to 
able, but the merchant’s wife said: “I can: 
ot sit at table with this clown, he smells 
f perspiration.” 

Then Tards the Stout said, “Ivdn, you smell 
90 strong. Go and eat outside.” 

“All right,” said Ivan, taking some bread 
nd going into the yard. “It is time, anyhow, 
or me to go and pasture the mare.” 


V 


Tards’s imp, being also free that night, 
ame, as agreed, to help his comrades subdue 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 89 


[van the Fool. He came to the cornfield, 
ooked and looked for his comrades—no one 
vas there. He only found a hole. He went 
‘0 the meadow, and there he found an imp’s 
‘ail in the swamp, and another hole in the 
‘ye stubble. 

“Evidently, some ill-luck has befallen my 
‘omrades,” thought he. “I must take their 
ylace and tackle the fool.” 

So the imp went to look for Ivan, who had 
ready stacked the corn and was cutting 
rees in, the wood. The two brothers had 
vegun to feel crowded, living together, and 
iad told Ivan to cut down trees to build new 
iouses for them. 

The imp ran to the wood, climbed among 
he branches, and began to hinder Ivdn from 
‘elling the trees. Ivdn undercut one tree 
o that it should fall clear, but in falling it 
urned askew and caught among some 
ranches. Ivan cut a pole with which to lever 
E aside, and with difficulty contrived to bring 
—E to the ground. He set to work to fell 
nother tree—again the same thing occurred; 
nd with all his efforts he could hardly get 
he tree clear. He began on a third tree, and 
gain the same thing happened, 


90 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


7 van had hoped to cut down half a hundred 
sraall trees, but had not felled even half a 
score, and now the night was come and he 
was tired out. The steam from him spread 
like a mist through the wood, but still he 
stuck to his work. He undercut another 
tree, but his back began to ache so that he 
could not stand. He drove his axe into the 
tree and sat down to rest. 

The imp, noticing that Ivdn liad stopped 
work, grew cheerful. 

“At last,” thought he, “he is tired out! 
He will give it up. Now I can take a rest 
myself.” 

He seated himself astride a branch and 
chuckled. But soon Ivdn got up, pulled the 
axe out, swung it, and smote the tree from 
the opposite side with such force that the 
tree gave way at once and came crashing 
down. The imp had not expected this, and 
had no time to get his feet clear, and the 
tree in breaking, gripped his paw. Ivdn be- 
gan to lop off the branches, when he noticed 
a live imp hanging in the tree! Ivdn was 
surprised. 

“What, you nasty thing,” says he, “so you 
are here again!” 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 91 


“T am another one,” says the imp. “I have 
been with your brother Taras.” 

“Whoever you are, you have met your fate,” 
said Ivan, and swinging his axe he was about 
to strike him with the haft, but the imp 
begged for mercy: “Don’t strike me,” said 
he, “and I will do anything you tell me to.” 

“What can you do?” 

“T can make money for you, as much as 
you want.” ; 

“All right, make some.” So the imp showed 
him how to do it. 

“Take,” said he, “some leaves from this oak 
and rub them in your hands, and gold wil) 
fall out on the ground.” 

Ivan took some leaves and rubbed them, 
and gold ran down from his hands. 

“This stuff will do fine,” said he, “for the 
fellows to play with on their holidays.” 

“Now let me go,” said tae imp. 

“All right,” said Ivan, and taking a lever 
he set the imp free. “Now begone! And God 
be with you,” says he. 

And as soon as he mentioned God, the imp 
plunged into the earth, like a stone into water. 
Only a hole was left. 


92 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


VI 


So the brothers built houses, and began to 
live apart; and Ivan finished the harvest work, 
brewed beer, and invited his brothers to spend 
the next holiday with him. His brothers 
weuld not come. 

‘de don’t care about peasant feasts,” said 
shey. 

So Ivan entertained the peasants and their 
vives, and drank until he was rather tipsy. 
[hen he went into the street to a ring of 
lancers; and going up to them he told the 
vomen to sing a song in his honour; “for,” 
aid he, “I will give you something you never _ 
aw in your lives before!” 

The women laughed and sang his praises, 
nd when they had finished they said, “Now 
et us have your gift.” 

“I will bring it directly,” said he. 

He took a seed-basket and ran into the 
roods. The women laughed. “He is a fool!” 
aid they, and they began to talk of some- 
hing else. 

But soon Ivd4n came running back, carry- 
ig the basket full of something heavy. 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 93 


“Shall I give it you?” 

“Yes! give it to us.” 

Ivan took a handful of gold and threw it 
to the women. You should have seen them 
throw themselves upon it to pick it up! And 
the men around scrambled for it, and 
snatched it from one another. One old woman 
was nearly crushed to death. Ivdn laughed. 

“Oh, you fools!” says he. “Why did you 
-crush the old grandmother? Be quiet, and I 
will give you some more,” and he threw them 
some more. The people all crowded round, 
and Ivdn threw them all the gold he had. 
They asked for more, but Ivan said, “I have 
no more just now. Another time Ill give you 
some more. Now let us dance, and you can 
sing me your songs.” 

The women began to sing. 

“Your songs are no good,” says he. 

“Where will you find better ones?” say 
they. 

“T’ll soon show you,” says he. 

He went to the barn, took a sheaf, thrashed 
it, stood it up, and bumped it on the ground. 

“Now,” said he: 


$4 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“O sheaf! my slave 
This order gave: 
Where a straw has been 
Let a soldier be seen!” 


And the sheaf fell asunder and became so 
any soldiers. The drums and trumpets be- 
gan to play. Ivan ordered the soldiers to. 
play and sing. He led them out into the 
street, and the people were amazed. ‘The sol- 
lliers played and sang, and then Ivdn (for- 
bidding any one to follow him) led them back 
to the thrashing ground, changed them into a 
sheaf again, and threw it in its place. 

He then went home and lay down in the 
stables to sleep. 


Vil 


Simon the Soldier heard of all these things 
next morning, and went to his brother. 

“Tell me,” says he, “where you got those 
soldiers from, and where you have taken 
them to?” 

“What does it matter to you?” said Ivan. 

“What does it matter? Why, with soldiers 
one can do anything. One can win a king- 

om. 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 95 


Ivan wondered. 

“Really!” said he; “Why didn’t you say so 
before? Ill make you as many as you like. 
It’s well the lass and I have thrashed so 
much straw.” 

IvAn took his brother to the barn and said: 

“Took here; if I make you some soldiers, 
you must take them away at once, for if we 
have to feed them, they will eat up the whole 
village in a day.” 

Simon the Soldier promised to lead the sol- 
diers away; and Ivdn began to make them. 
He bumped a sheaf on the thrashing floor— 
a company appeared. He bumped another 
sheaf, and there was a second company. He 
made so many that they covered the field. 

“Will that do?” he asked. 

Simon was overjoyed, and said: “That will 
do! Thank you, Ivan!” 

“All right,” said Ivan. “If you want more, 
come back, and I’ll make them. There is 
plenty of straw this season.” 

Simon the Soldier at once took command 
of his army, collected and organized it, and 
went off to make war. 

Hardly had Simon the Soldier gone, when 
Tards the Stout came along. He, too, had 


96 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


heard of yesteday’s affair, and he said to 
his brother: 

“Show me where you get gold money! If I 
only had some to start with, I could make it 
bring me in money from all over the world.” 

Ivin was astonished. 

“Really!” said he. “You should have told 
me sooner. I will make you as much as you 
like.” 

His brother was delighted. 

“Give me three baskets-full to begin with.” 

“All right,” said Ivan. “Come into the 
forest; or, better still, let us harness the mare, 
for you won’t be able to carry it all.” 

They drove to the forest, and Ivan began 
to rub the oak leaves. He made a great heap 
of gold. 

“Will that do?” 

Tards was overjoyed. 

“Tt will do for the present,” said he. 
“Thank you, Ivan!” 

“All right,” says Ivan, “if you want more, 
nS back for it. There are plenty of leaves 
eft. 

Tards the Stout gathered up a whole cart- 
load of money, and went off to trade. 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 97 


So the two brothers went away: Simon to 
‘ht, and Taras to buy and sell. And Simon 
e Soldier conquered a kingdom for him- 
lf; and Tards the Stout made much money 
trade. 

When the two brothers met, each told the 
her: Simon how he got the soldiers, and 
irds how he got the money. And Simon 
2 Soldier said to his brother, “I have con- 
ered a kingdom and live in grand style, 
t I have not money enough to keep my 
diers.” 

And Tards the Stout said, “And I have 
ide much money, but the trouble is, I have 
one to guard it.” ; 
Then said Simon the Soldier, “Let us go 
our brother. I will tell him to make more 
diers, and will give them to you to guard 
ur money, and you can tell him to make 

mey for me to feed my men.” 

And they drove away to Ivdn; and Simon 
d, “Dear brother, I have not enough sol- 
rs; make me another couple of ricks or so.” 
“van shook his head. 

‘No!’ says he, “I will not make any more 
‘diers,” . 


98 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“But you promised you would.” 

“T know I promised, but I won’t make any- 
more.” 

“But why not, fool?” 

“Because your soldiers killed a man. I was 
ploughing the other day near the road, and 
I saw a woman taking a coffin along in a cart, 
and crying. I asked her who was dead. She 
said, ‘Simon’s soldiers have killed my hus- 
band in the war.’ I thought the soldiers 
would only play tunes, but they have killed 
aman. I won’t give you any more.” gos | 

And he stuck to it, and would not make 
any more soldiers. 

Tards the Stout, too, began to beg Ivan 
to make him more gold money. But Ivan 
shook his head. 

“No, I won’t make any more,” said he. 

“Didn’t you promise?” 

“TI did, but I’ll make no more,” said he. 

“Why not, fool?” 

“Because your gold coins took away the 
cow from Michael’s daughter.” } 

“Tow?” _ : 

' “Simply took it away! Michael’s daughter — 
had a cow. Her children used to drink the 
milk. But the other day her children came 


— 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 99 


_¢o me to ask for milk. I said, ‘Where’s your 
cow?’ They answered, ‘The steward of Tards 


the Stout came and gave mother three bits of 
gold, and she gave him the cow, so we have 
nothing to drink.’ I thought you were only 
going to play with the gold pieces, but you 
have taken the children’s cow away. I will 
not give you any more.” 

And Ivdn stuck to it and would not give 
him any more. So the brothers went away. 
And as they went they discussed how they 
could meet their difficulties. And Simon said: 
~“Look here, I tell you what to do. You 
give me money to feed my soldiers, and I will 
give you half my kingdom with soldiers 
enough to guard your money.” Tards agreed. 
So the brothers divided what they possessed, 
and both became kings, and both were rich. 


VIII 


-Ivaén lived at home, supporting his father 
and mother and working in the fields with his 
dumb sister. Now it happened that Ivdn’s 
yard-dog fell sick, grew mangy, and was near 
dying. Ivén, pitying it, got some bread 
from his sister, put it in his cap, carried -it 


100 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


out, and threw it to the dog. But the cap 
was torn, and together with the bread one 
of the little roots fell to the ground. The 
old dog ate it up with the bread, and as soon 
as she had swallowed it she jumped up and 
began to play, bark, and wag her tail—in 
short became quite well again. 

The father and mother saw it and were 
amazed. 

“How did you cure the dog?” asked they. 

Ivd4n answered: “I had two little roots to 
cure any pain, and she swallowed one.” 

Now about that time it happened that the 
King’s daughter fell ill, and the King pro-— 
claimed in every town and village, that he 
would reward any one who could heal her, 
and if any unmarried man could heal the 
King’s daughter he should have her for his 
wife. This was proclaimed in Ivan’s village 
as well as everywhere else. 

His father and mother called Ivdn, and 
said to him: “Have you heard what the King 
has proclaimed? You said you had a root 
that would cure any sickness. Go and heal 
the King’s daughter, and you will be made 
happy for life.” 

“All right,” said he, 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 101 


And Ivan prepared to go, and they dressed 
him in his best. But as he went out of the 
door he met a beggar woman with a crippled 
hand. 

“J have heard,” said she, “that you can heal 
people. I pray you cure my arm, for I can- 
not even put on my boots myself.” 

-“All right,” said Ivan, and giving the little 
- root to’ the beggar woman he told her to swal- 
low it. She swallowed it, and was cured. 
She was at once able to move her arm freely. 

His father and mother came out to accom- 
pany Ivan to the King, but when they heard 
that he had given away the root, and that he 
had nothing left to cure the King’s daughter. 
- with, they began to scold him. 

“You pity a beggar woman, but are not 
sorry for the King’s daughter!” said they. 
But Ivdn felt sorry for the King’s daughter 
also. So he harnessed the horse, put straw 
in the cart to sit on, and sat down to drive 
away. 

“Where are you going, fool?” 

“To cure the King’s daughter.” 

“But you’ve nothing left to cure her with?” 

“Never mind,” said he, and drove off. 

He drove to the King’s palace, and as soon 


102. STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


as he stepped on the threshold the King’s 
daughter got well. 

The King was delighted, aria had Ivan 
brought to him, and had him dressed in fine 
robes. 

“Be my son-in-law,” said he. 

“All right,” said Ivan. 

And Ivan married the Princess. Her father 
died soon after, and Ivdn became King. So 
all three brothers were now kings. 


Ix 


The three brothers lived and reigned. The 
eldest brother, Simon the Soldier, prospered. 
With his straw soldiers he levied real sol- 
diers. He ordered throughout his whole king- 
dom a levy of one soldier from every ten 
houses, and each soldier had to be tall, and 
clean in body and in face. He gathered many 
such soldiers and trained them; and when 
any one opposed him, he sent these soldiers 
at once, and got his own way, so that every 
one began to fear him, and his life was a 
comfortable one. Whatever he cast his eyes 
on and wished for, was his. He sent soldiers, 
and they brought him all he desired. . 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 103 


Taras the Stout also lived comfortably. He 
did not waste the money he got from Ivan, 
but increased it largely. He introduced law 
and order into his kingdom. He kept his 
money in coffers, and taxed the people. He 
instituted a poll-tax, tolls for walking and 
driving, and a tax on shoes and stockings and 
dress trimmings. And whatever he wished 
for he got. For the sake of money, people 
brought him everything, and they offered to 
work for him—for every one wanted money. 

_Ivdn the Fool, also, did not live badly. <As 
soon as he had buried his father-in-law, he 
took off all his royal robes and gave them to 
his wife to put away in a chest; and he again 
donned his hempen shirt, his breeches and 
peasant shoes, and started again to work. 

“It’s dull for me,” said he. “I’m getting 
fat and have lost my appetite and my sleep.” 
So he brought his father and mother and his 
dumb sister to live with him, and worked as 
before. 

People said, “But you are a king!” 

“Yes,” said he, “but even a king must eat.” 

One of his ministers came to him and said, 
“We have no money to pay salaries,” 


104 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“All right,” says he, “then don’t pay them.” 

“Then no one will serve.” 

“All right; let them not serve. They will 
have more time to work; let them cart ma- 
nure. There is plenty of scavenging to be 
done.” 

And people came to Ivan to be tried. One 
said, “He stole my money.” And Iydn said, 
“All right, that shows that he wanted it.’ 

And they all got to know that Iv4n was a 
fool. And his wife said to him, “People say 
that you are a fool.” 

“All right,” said Ivan. 

His wife thought and thought about it, 
but she also was a fool. 

“Shall I go against my husband? Where 
the needle goes the thread follows,” said she. 

So she took off her royal dress, put it away 
in a chest, and went to the dumb girl to learn 
to work. And she learned to work and began 
to help her husband. 

And all the wise men left Ivdn’s kingdom;. 
only the fools remained. 

Nobody had money. They lived and 
worked. They fed themselves; and they fed 
others. 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL § 105 


x 


The old Devil waited and waited for news 
‘rom the imps of their having ruined the 
hree brothers. But no news came. So he 
vent himself to inquire about it. He searched 
ind searched, but instead of finding the three 
mps he found only the three holes. 

“Evidently they have failed,’ thought he. 
‘I shall have to tackle it myself.” 

So he went to look for the brothers, but 
hey were no longer in their old places. He 
‘ound them in three different kingdoms. All 
hree were living and reigning. This annoyed 
he old Devil very much. 

“Well,” said he, “I must try my own hand 
it the job.” 

First he went to. King Simon. He did not 
ro to him in his own shape, but disguised 
imself as a general, and drove to Simon’s 
valace. 

“{ hear, King Simon,” said he, “that you 
ire a great warrior, and as I know that 
tusiness well, I desire to serve you.” 

King Simon questioned him, and seeing that 
1€ was a wise man, took him into his service. 


106 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


The new commander began to teach Kin; 
Simon how to form a strong army. 

“First,” said he, “we must levy more sol 
diers, for there are in your kingdom man) 
people unemployed. We must recruit all th 
young men without exception. Then you wil 
have five times as many soldiers as formerly 
Secondly, we must get new rifles and can 
nons. I will introduce rifles that will fire ; 
hundred balls at once; they will fly out lik 
peas. And I will get cannons that will con 
sume with fire either man, or horse, or wall 
They will burn up everything!” 

Simon the King listened to the new com 
mander, ordered all young men without ex 
ception to be enrolled as soldiers, and ha: 
new factories built in which he manufacture¢ 
large quantities of improved rifles and can 
nons. Then he made haste to declare wa 
against a neighbouring king. As soon as h 
met the other army, King Simon ordered hi 
soldiers to rain balls against it and shoot fir 
from the cannons, and at one blow he burne¢ 
and crippled half the enemy’s army. Thi 
neighbouring king was so thoroughly fright 
ened that he gave way and surrendered hi 
kingdom. King Simon was delighted. | 





STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 107 


“Now,” said he, “I will conquer the King 
f India.” 

But the Indian King had heard about King 
jimon, and had adopted all his inventions, 
ind added more of his own. The Indian 
Sing enlisted not only all the young men, but 
ill the single women also, and got together a 
sreater army even than King Simon’s. And 
ie copied all King Simon’s rifles and cannons, 
ind invented a way of Hying through the 
ir to throw explosive bombs from above. 

_ King Simon set out to fight the Indian 
<ing, expecting to beat him as he had beaten 
he other king;.but the scythe that had cut so 
vell had lost its edge. The King of India 
lid not let Simon’s army come within gun- 
hot, but sent his women through the air to 
url down explosive bombs on to Simon’s 
my. The women began to rain down bombs 
m‘to the army like borax upon cockroaches. 
Che army ran away, and Simon the King 
vas left alone. So the Indian King took 
jimon’s kingdom, and Simon the Soldier fled 
is best he might. 

- Having finished with this brother, the old 
Jevil went to King Tards. Changing himself 
nto a merchant, he settled in Tards’s king- 


108 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


dom, started a house of business, and began 
spending money. He paid high prices for 
everything, and everybody hurried to the new 
merchant’s to get money. And so much 
money spread among the people that they 
began to pay all their taxes aes anc 
paid up all their arrears, and King Tard: 
rejoiced. 

“Thanks to the new merchant,” thought he. 
“T shall have more money than ever; and my 
life will be yet more comfortable.” 

And Tards the King began to form fresh 
plans, and began to build a new palace. He 
gave notice that people should bring him 
wood and stone, and come to work, and he 
fixed high prices for everything. King 
Tards thought people would come in crowds 
to work as before, but to his surprise all the 
wood and stone was taken to the merchant’s. 
and all the workmen went there too. King 
Tards increased his price, but the merchant 
bid yet more. King Tards had much money. 
but the merchant had still more, and outbid 
the King at every point. 

The King’s palace was at a standstill; the 
building did not get on. 





STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 109 


King Tards planned a garden, and when 
autumn came he called for the people to come 
and plant the garden, but nobody came. All 
the people were engaged digging a pond for 
the merchant. Winter came, and King Tards 
wanted to buy sable furs for a new overcoat. 
He sent to buy them, but the messengers re- 
turned and said, “There are no sables left. 
The merchant has all the furs. He gave the 
best price, and made carpets of the skins.” 

King Taras wanted to buy some stallions. 
He sent to buy them, but the messengers re- 
turned saying, “The merchant has all the good 
stallions; they are carrying water to fill his 

ond.” 

All the King’s affairs came to a standstill. 
Nobody would work for him, for every one 
was busy working for the merchant; and they 
only brought King Tards the merchant's 
money to pay their taxes. 

And the King collected so much money that 
he had nowhere to store it, and his life be- 
came wretched. He ceased to form plans, 
and would have been glad enough simply to 
live, but he was hardly able even to do that, 
He ran short of everything. One after an< 


110 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOT, 


other his cooks, coachmen, and servants left 
him to go to the merchant. Soon he lacked 
even food. When he sent to the market to 
buy anything, there was nothing to be got— 
the merchant had bought up everything, and 
people only brought the King money to pay 
their taxes. 

Tards the King got angry, and banished the 
merchant from the country. But the mer- 
chant settled just across the frontier, and 
went on as before. For the sake of the mer- 
chant’s money, people took everything to him 
instead of to the King. 

Things went badly with King Tards. For 
days together he had nothing to eat, and a 
rumour even got about that the merchant was 
boasting that he would buy up the King him- 
self! King Tards got frightened, and did 
not know what to do. 

At this time Simon the soldier came to him, 
saying, “Help me, for the King of India has 
conquered me.” 

-But King Tards himself was over head and 
ears in difficulties. “I myself,” said he, “have 
had nothing to eat for two days.” 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL Ill 


xI 


Having done with the two brothers, the old 
Devil went to Ivan. He changed himself into 
a General, and coming to Ivan began to per- 
suade him that he ought to have an army. 

“Tt does not become a king,” said he, “to 
be without an army. Only give me the order, 
and I will collect soldiers from among your 
people, and form one.” 

Ivdn listened to him. “All right,” said 
Ivdn, “form an army, and teach them to sing 
songs well. I like to hear them do that.” 

So the old Devil went through Ivan’s king- 
dom to enlist men. He told them to go and 
be entered as soldiers, and each should have a 
quart of spirits and a fine red cap. 

The people laughed. 

“We have plenty of spirits,” said they. 
“We make it ourselves; and as for caps, the 
women make all kinds of them, even striped 
ones with tassels.” 

So nobody would enlist. / 

The old Devil came to Ivan and said: 
“Your fools won’t enlist of their own free 
will. We shall have to make them.” 


1i2 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“All right,” said Ivan, “you can try.” 

So the old Devil gave notice that all the 
people were to enlist, and that Ivdn would 
put to death any one who refused. 

The people came to the General and said, 
“You say that if we do not go as soldiers the 
King will put us to death, but you don’t say 
what will happen if we do enlist. We have 
heard say that soldiers get killed!” 

“Yes, that happens sometimes.” . 

When the people heard this they became 
obstinate. “gh 

“We won’t go,” said they. “Better meet 
death at home. Either way we must die.” 

“Fools! You are fools!” said the old 
_ Devil. “A soldier may be killed or he may 
not, but if you don’t go, King Ivdn will have 
you killed for certain.” 

The people were puzzled, and went to Ivdn 
the Fool to consult him. 

“A General has come,” said they, “who says 
we must all become soldiers. ‘If you go as 
soldiers,’ says he, ‘you may be killed or you 
may not, but if you don’t go, King Ivan will 
certainly kill you. Is this true?” 

-Ivén laughed and said, “How can I, alone, 
put all you to death? If I were not a fool I 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 118 


would explain it to you, but as it is, I don’t 
understand it myself.” 

“Then,” said they, “we will not serve.” 

“All right,” says he, “don’t.” 

So the people went to the General and 
refused to enlist. And the old Devil saw 
that this game was up, and he went off and 
ingratiated himself with the King of Tara- 

an. 

“Let us make war,” says he, “and conquer 
King Ivan’s country. It is true there is no 
money, but there is plenty of corn and cattle 
and everything else.” 

So the King ‘of Tarakdén prepared to make 
war. He mustered a great army, provided 
rifles and cannons, marched to the frontier, 
and entered Ivdn’s kingdom. 

And people came to Ivd4n and said, “The 
King of Tarakdn is coming to make war on 
us.” 

“All right,” said Ivan, “let him come.” 

Having crossed the frontier, the King of 
Tarakan sent scouts to look for Ivdn’s army. 
They looked and looked, but there was no 
army! They waited and waited for one to 
appear somewhere, but there were no signs 
of an army, and nobody to fight with. The 


114 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


King of Tarakdn then sent to seize the vil- 
lages. The soldiers came to a village, and the 
people, both men and women, rushed out in 
astonishment to stare at the soldiers. The 
soldiers began to take their corn and cattle; 
the people let them‘have it, and did not resist. 
The soldiers went on to another village; the 
same thing happened again. The soldiers 
went on for one day, and for two days, and 
everywhere the same thing happened. The 
people let them have everything, and no one 
resisted, but only invited the soldiers to live 
with them. 

“Poor fellows,” said they, “if you have a 
hard life in your own land, why don’t you 
come and stay with us altogether?” 

The soldiers marched and marched: still no 
army, only people living and feeding them- 
selves and others, and not resisting, but in- 
viting the soldiers to stay and live with them. 
The soldiers found it dull work, and they 
came to the King of Tarakdn and said, “We 
cannot fight here, lead us elsewhere. War is 
all right, but what is this? Tt is like cutting 
pea-soup! We will not make war here any 
more.” | 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 115 


The King of Tarakén grew angry, and 
ordered his soldiers to over-run the whole 
kingdom, to destroy the villages, to burn the 
grain and the houses, and to slaughter the 
cattle. “And if you do not obey my orders,” 
said he, “I will execute you all.” 

The soldiers were frightened, and began to 
act according to the King’s orders, They 
‘began te burn houses and corn, and to kill 
cattle. But the fools still offered no resist- 
ance, and only wept. The old men wept, and 
the old women wept, and the young people 
wept, 

“Why do you harm us?” they said. “Why 
“do you waste good things? If you need 
them, why do you not take them for your- 
Selves?” 

At last the soldiers could stand it no longer. 
They refused to go any further, and the army 
disbanded and fied. ; 


XII 
The old Devil had to give it up. He could 


not get the better of Ivdn with soldiers.:»So 
he changed himself into a fine gentleman; and 


16 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


settled down in Ivdn’s kingdom. He meant 
to overcome him by means of money, as he 
had overcome Tards the Stout. 

“I wish,” says he, “to do you a good turn, 
to teach you sense and reason. I will build 
a house among you and organize a trade.” 

“All right,” said Ivan, “come and live 
among us if you like.” 

Next morning the fine gentleman went out 
into the public square with a big sack of gold 
and a sheet of paper, and said, “You all live 
like swine. I wish to teach you how to live 
properly. Build me a house according to 
this plan. You shall work, I will tell you 
how, and I will pay you with gold coins.” 
And he showed them the gold. 

The fools were astonished; there was no 
money. in use among them; they bartered 
their goods, and paid one another with labour. 
They looked at the gold coins with surprise. 

“What nice little things they are!” said 
they. 

And they began to exchange their goods 
and labour for the gentleman’s gold pieces. 
And the old Devil began, as in Tards’s king- 
dom, to be free with his gold, and the people 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 117 


began to exchange everything for gold and 
to do all sorts of work for it. 

The old Devil was delighted, and thought 
he to himself, “Things are going right this 
time. Now I shall ruin the Fool as I did 
ye and I shall buy him up body and 
soul.” 

But as soon as the fools had provided them- 
selves with gold pieces they gave them to the 
women for necklaces. The lasses plaited 
them into their tresses, and at last the chil- 
dren in the street began to play with the 
little pieces. Everybody had plenty of them, 
and they stopped taking them. But the fine 
gentleman’s mansion was not yet half-built, 
and the grain and cattle for the year were 
not provided. So he gave notice that he 
wished people to come and work for him, and 
that he wanted cattle and grain; for each 
thing, and for each service, he was ready to 
give many more pieces of gold. 

But nobody came to work, and nothing was 
brought. Only sometimes a boy or a little girl 
would run up to exchange an egg for a gold 
coin, but nobody else came, and he had noth- 
ing to eat. And being hungry, the fine gentle- 


118 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


man went through the village to try and buy 
something for dinner. He tried at one house, 
and offered a gold piece for a fowl, but the 
housewife wouldn’t take it. 

“TI have a lot already,” said she. 

He tried at a widow’s house to buy a her- 
ring, and offered a gold piece. 

“JT don’t want it, my good sir,” said she. “I 
have no children to play with it, and I myself 
already have three coins as curiosities.” 

He tried at a peasant’s house to get bread, 
but neither would the peasant take money. 

“T don’t need it,” said he, “but if you are 
begging ‘for Christ’s sake’? wait a bit and 
I'll tell the housewife to cut you a piece of 
bread.” 

At that the Devil spat, and ran away. To 
hear Christ’s name mentioned, let alone re- 
ceiving anything for Christ’s sake, hurt him 
more than sticking a knife into him. 

And so he got no bread. Every one had 
gold, and no matter where the old Devil went, 
nobody would give anything for money, but 
every one said, “Either bring something else, 


1“for Christ’s sake’ is the usual appeal of 
Russian beggars or poor pilgrims. 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 119 


or come and work, or receive what you want 
in charity for Christ’s sake.” 

But the old Devil had nothing but money; 
‘for work he had no liking, and as for taking 
anything “for Christ’s sake” he could not do 
that. The old Devil grew very angry. 

“What more do you want, when I give you 
money?” said he. “You can buy everything 
with gold, and hire any kind of labourer.” 
But the fools did not heed him. 

“No, we do not want money,” said they. 
“We have no payments to make, and no taxes, 
so what should we do with it?” 

The old Devil lay down to sleep—supper- 
less. 

The affair was told to Ivan the Fool. Peo- 
ple came and asked him, “What are we to do? 
A fine gentleman has turned up, who likes to 
eat and drink and dress well, but he does not 
like to work, does not beg in ‘Christ’s name,’ 
but only offers gold pieces to every one. At 
first people gave him all he wanted, until they 
had plenty of gold pieces, but now no one 
gives him anything. What’s to be done with 
him? He will die of hunger before long.” 

Ivan listened. 


120 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“All right,’ says he, “we must feed him. 
Let him live by turn at each house as a 
shepherd? does.” 

There was no help for it. The old Devil 
had to begin making the round. 

In due course the turn came for him to go 
to Ivan’s house. The old Devil came in to 
dinner, and the dumb girl was getting it 
ready. 

She had often been deceived by lazy folk 
who came early to dinner—without having 
done their share of work—and ate up all the 
porridge, so it had occurred to her to find 
out the sluggards by their hands. Those who 
had horny hands, she put at the table, but the 
others got only the scraps that were left over. 

The old Devil sat down at the table, but 
the dumb girl seized him by the hands and 
looked at them—there were no hard places 
there: the hands were clean and smooth, with 
long nails. The dumb girl gave a grunt and 
pulled the Devil away from the table. And 


11t is often arranged that the shepherd who 
looks after the cattle of a Russian village Com- 
mune should get his board and lodging at the 
houses of the villagers, passing from one to 
another in turn, 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 121 


Ivdn’s wife said to him, “Don’t be offended, 
fine gentleman. My sister-in-law does not 
allow any one to come to table who hasn’t 
horny hands. But wait awhile, after the folk 
have eaten you shall have what is left.” 

The old Devil was offended that in the 
King’s house they wished him to feed like 
a pig. He said to Ivdn, “It is a foolish law 
you have in your kingdom that every one 
must work with his hands. It’s your stu- 
pidity that invented it. Do people work 
only with their hands? What do you think 
wise men work with?” 

And Ivan said, “How are we fools to 
know? We do most of our work with our 
hands and our backs.” 

“That is because you are fools! But I 
will teach you how to work with the head. 
Then you will know that it is mere profitable 
to work with the head than with the hands.” 

Ivén was surprised. 

“If that is so,’ said he, “then there is 
some sense in calling us fools!” 

And the old Devil went on. “Only it is 
not easy to work with one’s head. You give 
me nothing to eat, because I have no hard 
places on my hands, but you do not know 


122 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


that it is a hundred times more difficult to 
work with the head. Sometimes one’s head 
quite splits.” 

Ivan became thoughtful. 

“Why, then, friend, do you torture your- 
self so? Is it pleasant when the head splits? 
Would it not be better to do easier work 
with your hands and your back?” 

But the Devil said, “I do it all out of pity 
for you fools. If I didn’t torture myself 
you would remain fools for ever. But, hav- 
ing worked with my head, I can now teach 

ou.” 

‘ Ivdén was surprised. 

“Do teach us!” said he, “so that when 
our hands get cramped we may use our heads 
for a change.” 

And the Devil promised to teach the peo- 
ple. So Ivdn gave notice throughout the 
kingdom that a fine gentleman had come who 
would teach everybody how to work with 
their heads; that with the head more could 
be done than with the hands; and that the 
people ought all to come and learn. 

Now there was in Ivan’s kingdom a high 
tower, with many steps leading up to a lan- 
tern on the top. And Ivan took the gen- 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 193 


— up there that every one might see 
m. 
So the gentleman took his place on the top 
of the tower and began to speak, and the 
people came together to see him. They 
thought the gentleman would really show 
them how to work with the head without 
using the hands. But the old Devil only 
taught them in many words how they might 
live without working. The people could make 
nothing of it. They looked and considered, 
and at last went off to attend to their 
affairs. 

The old Devil‘stood on the tower a whole 
day, and after that a second day, talking all 
the time. But standing there so long he 
grew hungry, and the fools never thought of 
taking food to him up in the tower. They 
thought that if he could work with his head 
better than with his hands, he could at any 
rate easily provide himself with bread. 

The old Devil stcod on the top of the 
tower yet another day, talking away. Peo- 
ple came near, looked on for awhile, and 
then went away. 

And Ivan asked, “Well, has the gentleman 
begun to work with his head yet?” 


124 STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 


“Not yet,” said the people; “he’s still 
spouting away.” 

The old Devil stood on the tower one day 
more, but he began to grow weak, so that 
he staggered and hit his head against one © 
of the pillars of the lantern. One of the 
people noticed it and told Ivan’s wife, and 
she ran to her husband, who was in the field. 

“Come and look,” said she. “They say the 
gentleman is beginning to work with his 
head.” 

Ivadn was surprised. 

“Really?” says he, and he turned his horse 
round, and went to the tower. And by the 
time he reached the tower the old Devil was 
quite exhausted with hunger, and was stag- 
gering and knocking his head against the pil- 
lars. And just as Ivdn arrived at the tower, 
the Devil stumbled, fell, and came bump, 
bump, bump, straight down the stairs to the 
bottom, counting each step with a knock of 
his head! 

“Wellf’ says Ivan, “the fine gentleman 
told the truth when he said that ‘sometimes 
one’s head quite splits. This is worse than 
blisters; after such work there will be swell- 
ings on the head.” 


STORY OF IVAN THE FOOL 2 125 


The old Devil tumbled out at the foot 
of the stairs, and struck his head against 
the ground. Ivdn was about to go up to 
him to see how much work he had done— 
when suddenly the earth opened and the old 
Devil fell through. Only a hole was left. 

Ivan scratched his head. 

“What a nasty thing,” says he. “It’s one 01 

those devils again! What a whopper! He 
‘must be the father of them all.” 
- Ivan is still living, and people crowd to 
his kingdom. His own brothers have come 
to live with him, and he feeds them, too. To 
every one who' comes and says, “Give me 
food!” Ivan says, “All right. You can stay 
with us; we have plenty of everything.” 

Only there is one special custom in his 
kingdom; whoever has horny hands comes 
to table, but whoever has not, must eat what 
the others leave, 

1885, 











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